By Caleb Callaway | On Wednesday, January 21, 2021, Joe Biden was inaugurated as 46th president of the United States, with Kamala Harris as his vice president. It was a hard-fought election, one that will have a lasting impact on the U.S. election process.
It was an election that came with much argument, debate, disagreement, turbulence, confusion, and violence. It was one that has left a deep scar on the heart of our nation. The process dragged on for over two months after the official election date, with tensions seeming to rise by the day. It left many people, both domestically and internationally, with a great number of questions and differing opinions.
The community of Howard Payne University holds its own questions and drastically differing opinions. As is the case with most university campuses, the HPU campus is abuzz with political rhetoric and viewpoints. HPU hosts students from many different walks of life, with many different political opinions.
Conner Faught, a senior Academy, social science jurisprudence, and Bible double major, has enjoyed watching the inauguration process unfold.
“This is an exciting time for the United States. This is the first presidential inauguration I’ve had interest in and I’m certainly glad the inauguration went smoothly,” said Faught.
Cynthia Montalvo, a sophomore biomedical science and public policy major, also was glad to see the inauguration of Joe Biden as president.
Montalvo said, “I think that the inauguration was a very emotional moment for many people. It was honestly almost like a moment of hope that change, good change, would come from this presidency.”
One major issue of controversy surrounding this election was the legitimacy of the election. With the reality of mail-in voting due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the legitimacy of the election has been called into question.
Dani Puente, a senior biology and public policy double major, believes that the election was conducted in a fair and legal matter.
“I trust in both the regulations and overseers that it was a legitimate election in every step of the way. It was done properly and legally in the tradition of the United States,” Puente said.
Brooke Robbins, believes that, while some of the results might have been skewed, the election was still a legitimate one.
“I am inclined to trust the legitimacy of the election. There was probably voter fraud on both sides, but I don’t know if it was enough to sway the election,” Robbins said.
Alex Mata, a senior social work major, does not believe that the election results were legitimate.
Mata said, “I don’t believe that President Biden received the amount of votes necessary to win. I believe that people are focused too much on emotions instead of facts, on both sides.”
Although this election has been highly controversial, one thing remains consistent across every political view in the opinions of voters: that elected officials must be held accountable for their actions.
Montalvo believes that regardless of political affiliation, our elected officials must be held accountable.
“No matter what, we have to remind ourselves that no matter who is in office, they should be held accountable for their actions and the things that need to change in this country. Not everyone is always going to agree on everything, but that doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t move forward to create change for the betterment of the nation,” Montalvo said.
Robbins believes that a large part of political accountability is simply telling the truth.
“We have a government for a reason. People are called to make a difference, but the confusion, tension, and lies are pointless. Politicians must embrace truth, as they claim to do. Truth will last, but empty verbal promises and selfish agendas will not,” Robbins said.
Puente thinks that being held accountable requires being upfront and honest about wrongdoings.
“Unity is a wonderful destination, but you can’t arrive without accountability. For me, accountability looks like holding people to the same standard and calling things as they are. It’s an explicit acknowledgement of wrongs committed,” Puente said.
The inauguration of Joe Biden and Kamala Harris was the culmination of a long and grueling election process. The process was undoubtedly longer and uglier than many people anticipated, and it certainly yielded a significant amount of ongoing tension in our nation. However, despite the constant arguments between opposing viewpoints, we can all agree on this: Unity is an objective that must be achieved for the welfare of the U.S.
We cannot continue to thrive and grow as a country if we refuse to let go of strife and listen to one another. Without working together and giving heed to other opinions, we are a country doomed to fail. Whether or not we agree on the outcome of this election, working together is the only way out of the circumstance we find ourselves in today.
In the famous words of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, “”And if a kingdom be divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house be divided against itself, that house cannot stand.”