Biden-Harris, this ain't unity

Inauguration Day brought cries of ecstasy as some rejoiced in the transfer of power and voiced their expectation of what the Biden-Harris administration would bring. Others were not necessarily exuberant about the two new leaders but were just giddy the old one is gone. In all of this, the calls for unity and "let the healing begin" reverberated, shallow as they were.

It didn't take long for President Biden to reveal his idea of unity is different from mine. Start with his inauguration speech. Criticism has been leveled against his comments about white supremacy, racism and nativism. Some have come to his defense, asserting conservatives are being supersensitive by personalizing what Biden said while Biden was actually speaking in general. Not buying it. When your colleagues --and you -- have spent years lumping a president's supporters into a "basket of deplorables," to steal a Hillary Clinton phrase, we see what you did there. We're not stupid. You've been saying it all along, so why would any honest person believe you were merely throwing terms into the air for, well, no one in particular? We don't. Insinuating the previous president's supporters are these despicable terms ain't unity.

I appreciate calls for unity and healing as much as the next gal, but actions speak louder than words, as they say. The new administration's mouth speaks unity, but actions say not.

A presidential impeachment trial against someone who is no longer president is not only oxymoronic; it's vindictive. It's a waste of time. It's asinine. It's unconstitutional. And with all that it is, it sure ain't unifying. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, however, says it makes perfect sense to her (which should tell us something right there) and that proceeding with this farce would not hurt Biden's calls for unity.

Rushing to undo a chunk of what your predecessor has done -- much, if not all, good for the nation -- ain't unity, either.

Announcing the plan to codify Roe v. Wade on Sanctity of Human Life Day, no less, as Trump proclaimed for Jan. 22 ain't unity. Shoot, it ain't even humanity. Snuffing out babies' lives never is. Add that to the reversal of Trump's Mexico City Policy, which Biden plans to do, and there you have more "unity." The policy blocks U.S. assistance to abortion abroad and is always a political football, but Pelosi says folks "were willing to sell the whole democracy down the river for that one issue." What other issue is more important, Mama and Nana Nancy?

On your first day in office, putting the kibosh on the Keystone XL Pipeline and the plethora of jobs that come with it ain't unity. Hard for folks to feel all warm and fuzzy when their jobs are cut because of the climate cult.

Halting deportations for illegal aliens, even those who committed heinous crimes, ain't unity. This further hurts jobs. It sounds sweet and inclusive, but at what cost? Compare Biden to Trump, and most will say Biden dials down the temperature of the last four years. That may be, but that's neither here nor there really. As I've said often, I'm not into selling out principles for personality. I'm not willing to sacrifice life for less volume. I'm not interested in opening borders all willy-nilly, jeopardizing jobs and sacrificing safety to be "nice."

I'm confused by all this "let the healing begin" talk. Healed from what? From a president who said "America First"? Isn't that what a president is supposed to work towards? "Charity begins at home," right? "America First" is not a cuss. It's common sense. Biden doesn't seem to get it, and we saw that on day 1.

Healing from an economy that was looking mighty good before the pandemic, which politicians have exploited? Notice New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo and Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot are now calling to reopen businesses because, you know, we can't continue this way economically. No, we can't, and no we couldn't. Just long enough to get past the faux-lection.

Biden and Harris need our prayers. I give them those -- for one, because barring a miracle, we're in a world of hurt with them at the helm. Their policies aren't good for the country, and I'm not feeling too good about their leadership. Their party spent almost all of the last four years trying to prove Trump conspired with the Russians and aiming to impeach him. And now that he's out of office, they're still trying to get him, um, out of office to do him in -- and this is what "unity" looks like?

Adrienne Ross is owner of Adrienne Ross Communications and a former Southeast Missourian editorial board member.