The last many years have been incredibly emotional for me. The Covid 19 pandemic took family members of my friends and some of my former students. I mostly isolated with my husband for two years to protect him, my brother and my father-in-law and his wife who all had serious health issues. I was appalled by the cavalier and often ignorant attitude of President Trump who seemed more concerned about impressing his followers than saving lives. I was determined to vote him out of office and happily he did not win the election of 2020. 

President Joe Biden took over a nation in disarray. As soon as he was declared the winner Donald Trump began a campaign of lies hoping to overthrow the election results. On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump encouraged his followers to rally in Washington D.C. where he continued his ridiculous assertions and suggested that Vice President Mike Pence should discount the real electoral votes and give the election to him with fake electors. He incited the anger of the people who had believed his untruths on that day just as he had been doing for months and when they stormed the Capitol threatening Mike Pence and Nancy Pelosi in particular, Trump only sat idly and watched things devolve. Only hours later after the Capitol building was trashed and people had been severely injured and killed did he finally tell his people to go home. 

For the past four years Donald Trump has done little aside from playing golf and continuing to tell lies while he insults good honest people over and over again. During that same time President Joe Biden managed the country with kindness, compassion and an eye for getting us past the pandemic and into the future. Our nation now has its lowest unemployment rate in decades. While other countries are still struggling with runaway inflation ours has slowly but surely continued in a downward trend. Our cities are recording the lowest crime rates in years. An infrastructure program championed by Joe Biden has rebuilt roads, bridges, and drainage systems. He has served as a font of wisdom among our European allies, generously offering aid to Ukraine as they fight to preserve their democracy from an invading Russia. 

The last four years might have felt more peaceful and healing were it not for the constant complaining and lying of Donald Trump, as well as the court rulings that have thwarted efforts to hold him accountable for the many egregious and illegal acts he has performed. Somehow in spite of a mountain of evidence that Trump is unfit to be President of the United States he is now the official nominee of a Republican party that seems intent on bowing to him rather than doing what is right and just for the United States and its people. 

Sadly as the political scene began to heat up this summer the press and even many Democrats pounded more on President Biden’s age and fitness for office than the lies and offenses that define Trump as someone who is not to be trusted. The relentless attacks on Joe Biden, while overlooking Trumps many flaws have resulted in the resignation of President Biden from the race. The irony and ugliness of what has happened is stunning and I for one have spent time sobbing about the way a great man has been treated while a criminal while a weak and banal man has been canonized and lionized. It says something quite disappointing about who we Americans are. 

We live in a nation where there are more guns than people. We are all too easily egged on to fight and bicker and destroy reputations without evidence. With great regularity we end up reading about disturbed young men taking out their anger on other people with guns that should not be in our midst. Thus a twenty year old attempted to kill Donald Trump for seemingly no other reason than showing that he could. At the same time the press took down an honest man because he is not as energetic as he once was and he sometimes mixes up names. We have become a cruel place indeed. 

Once again as he has done so many times in his decades long career, Joe Biden has heroically risen to the moment and taken himself out of the race. Perhaps he is too old to continue the job for four more years, but the same can be said of Donald Trump who is seventy eight and prone to the same kind of word salad mix ups as well as falling asleep during trials and speeches at his convention. Perhaps we should rethink the open ended rules of who is eligible for the presidency. We live much longer now than people did when the age requirements became part of the Constitution. What is true for Joe Biden is most likely true for anyone, including Donald Trump. As we age we just don’t have the spring in our steps or the quickness in our minds that we once had. 

I will remember President Joe Biden with great respect and gratitude. For four years he has taken the heat from the MAGAs for all of us in this country. He is a truly good man who loves God, his family and this nation. He is an imperfect man like every human who has walked on this planet but he has always been willing to admit to his limitations rather than falsely boasting. He has always been honest and caring much like a good father would be. I am certain that his historic legacy will place him among the greatest leaders we have ever had. I wish him well in the final days of his presidency and I hope more than anything that he knows how much so many Americans like me love and admire him. 

Now we must turn to a new race for the office of President of the United States with younger people representing the party of the Democrats. I will work to get them elected because I believe with all my heart that the future of our democracy is at stake and only they can save us from the corruption that has infiltrated the once Grand Old Party. Whoever is on the ticket will get my vote in November. I want to keep our country safe for my children and my grandchildren. They represent a much better future than the one that Donald Trump describes.

But enough of that…For today I’m saying goodbye to President Joe Biden’s run for reelection through tears and thankfulness. God bless America and God bless President Joe Biden. Our nation is grateful for all you have done.