For purposes of this diary, I’m going to presume the Biden/Harris ticket prevails in four weeks. I’m going to further presume that the weather on January 21st, 2021 is fair to tolerable.
I’ve no doubt that there will be questions about how to keep the inauguration itself from becoming another super-spreader event, even as we’ll be sure to see truly tremendous crowds want to be there. Doubtless public health officials are already considering the consequences and gaming out scenarios that will safeguard the public as best they can.
My suggestion is this: the full length of the National Mall — from the Capitol all the way to the Lincoln Memorial — be roped off and 500,000 small-to-medium flags be planted on the green. One for each American citizen and resident who has died as a result of the pandemic.
At current tendlines, our hitting 500,000 such fatalities by January is not unrealistic, especially as there’s a strong likelihood the “official” totals are in fact serious undercounts.
To date, Trump and Pence have managed to avoid being directly confronted with the consequences of this mismanagement of this disaster. Let them face it, even if just for a moment, and let the world see them scurry away at the sight as their power is stripped from them.
More importantly, let newly sworn-in President Biden speak to the country by acknowledging these deaths, both visually and rhetorically, and thus beginning a truly new era of leadership here.
Just a thought that likely has zero chance of actually happening. Any comments?