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Wednesday night, President Biden told a sparsely populated chamber, with everyone socially distanced, vaccinated, and still wearing masks that "America is ready for takeoff," but our "most lethal threat is white supremacist terrorism."
Republican Senator Tim Scott, a black man who says his family went from "cotton to Congress" in one generation, has a very different view of America than our president.
And he expressed it in his Republican response to the president.
Scott declared "America is not racist."
A true tale of two cities---or in this case, two countries.
Are we? Or aren't we?
Be informed, not misled.
Charles Dickens, with his "Tale of Two Cities", asserted the belief in the possibility of resurrection and transformation on both a personal and societal level.
President Biden began his first presidential speech to Congress---the 200 who were there social distancing in the 1000 seat chamber--by claiming:
"America is rising anew. Choosing hope over fear. Truth over lies. Light over darkness. After 100 Days of rescue and renewal, America is ready for takeoff."
From there President Biden explained why we are ready "for takeoff," taking credit for anything and everything possible, including the vaccine and the Trump "warp speed" project that brought it to our country and our world in months rather than the years that "science" predicted.
Following his talking points, which explained how his administration would be spending---or as he calls it "investing" the trillions of dollars he is asking for, the president pivoted.
America is systemically racist---he says.
It wasn't all about spending---excuse me, "investing" the trillions that our grandchildren will be forced to pay for, the president said we need to remain vigilant to threats to our country, then pivoting and saying, "And we won't ignore what our own intelligence agencies have determined---the most lethal terrorist threat to the homeland today is from white supremacist terrorism."
How many times have we been told that America is systemically racist? Our institutions and our culture--- and now we're told the worst part of our racism is related to whiteness.
And his next words were, "My fellow Americans, we must come together to heal the soul of this nation."
"America is not racist."
With a word of respect for the president, Sen. Tim Scott began, "But our nation is starving for more than empty platitudes. We need policies and progress that brings us closer together."
"Hear me clearly," the Senator said, "America is not a racist country."
In fact, he said,
"It's backwards to fight discrimination with different types of discrimination, and it's wrong to use our painful past to dishonestly shut down debates in the present."
Clearly, the Black senator from the South was on target.
So-called progressives immediately went to social media tweeting, "Uncle Tim"---in fact by Wednesday night it was trending. It was eventually blocked, but the message was out there---around the world.
"Uncle Tim" is trending on Twitter right now because apparently it's okay to use racist epithets as long as they're directed at a Republican.
— Eddie Zipperer (@EddieZipperer) April 29, 2021
Tim Scott didn't blink but took the high road. He continued, touching on his family's "Cotton to Congress" story. He credited his mom---and moms everywhere for not giving up on him---and other kids like him.
And he said, "Becoming a Christian transformed my life."
"Uncle Tim" wasn't a new experience for Tim.
He said he's experienced a "different kind of intolerance"---"I get called 'Uncle Tom' and the N-word---by progressives, by liberals."
Notably, as Scott rises in popularity, the Washington Post has stepped in to "fact check" him---something that really didn't happen to President Biden Wednesday night.
The Post is challenging that he did not grow up in an impoverished family, claiming, "There's more to that tale."
They say he was actually "privileged---because a relative owned land generations before his time."
Scott also mentioned the "lost year" for our kids:
"Locking vulnerable kids out of the classroom is locking adults out of their future."
He reminded his audience that the left "likes the issues of racism, but not the solution."
And he challenged Biden's infrastructure plan calling it a "liberal's wish list of Big Government waste, plus the biggest job-killing tax hikes in a generation."
But in the end, he returned to his faith. Something America must do if we are to see healing in our land.
Sen Scott said,
"May the Lord bless you and keep you. May His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May His presence go before you, and behind you, and beside you...May His favor be upon [our nation] for a thousand generations, and your family, and your children, and their children. Good night and God bless."
Have a great weekend. Give this some serious thought. Thank God for America. And pray for our restoration.
Be Informed. Be Discerning. Be Vigilant. Be Prayerful.