Locals ‘nervous’ but excited for inauguration day
Greenfield resident Raymond Neal said he’s “really excited” for the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden on Wednesday. STAFF PHOTOS/MARY BYRNE
Greenfield resident Rachael Balcanoff said it was “unfortunate” the fear of violence has detracted from the presidential inauguration.
Published: 1/19/2021 7:04:51 PM
While locals are saying they’re excited for the change in office to take place in Washington D.C. on Wednesday, many have also expressed a degree of anxiety over the “threat of violence” anticipated at the inauguration of President-elect Joe Biden.
“I think it’s not a really good idea for people to be going there right now, between the threat of violence and the pandemic,” said Ferd Wulkan, a Montague resident and a member of Franklin County Continuing the Political Revolution (FCCPR).
Live updates: Biden’s tone, flurry of orders underscore new day for U.S. By Vanessa Arredondo, Dominic Fracassa and Rita Beamish
President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris and their new administration got to work in a nation besieged by a raging pandemic, economic calamity and deep political divisions. Biden signed 17 executive orders shortly after his swearing-in, dealing with the pandemic, climate change, immigration and other pressing issues that reflected the dramatic divergence of his priorities from those of the vanquished Trump administration.
Latest updates today:
1:56 p.m. Biden immigration bill nixes word “alien”: In a small but symbolic part of President Biden’s proposed sweeping immigration overhaul, the word “alien” will be removed from US immigration laws, replaced by “noncitizen,” CNN reports. “It’s a deliberate step intended to recognize America as “a nation of immigrants,” according to a summary of the bill. The
His absence comes after protesters and rioters surrounded the US Capitol building.(AP)
He touted having not started any new foreign wars and adopting a tough stance on China. And he takes credit for a resurgent US economy, even though it has slowed during the coronavirus pandemic. I took on the tough battles, the hardest fights, the most difficult choices because that s what you elected me to do.
The excerpts make no mention of Mr Biden, but do allude to the violence at the Capitol earlier this month. All Americans were horrified by the assault on our Capitol. Political violence is an attack on everything we cherish as Americans. It can never be tolerated, he said.