Biden calls for unity to ‘overcome this season of darkness’ in US

By Susana Samhan

Washington DC, Aug 21 (efe-epa).- Former vice-president Joe Biden on Thursday accepted the Democratic Party’s nomination for the presidential election and called on Americans to unite to “overcome this season of darkness” in the United States.

“I am a proud Democrat and I will be proud to carry the banner of our party into the general election. So, it is with great honor and humility that I accept this nomination for president of the United States of America,” said Biden from Wilmington, Delaware, where he lives.

He was giving a highly anticipated speech that closed the four-day Democratic National Convention held without a usual fanfare in a virtual format due to the coronavirus pandemic.

In his address, the 77-year-old politician presented himself as an “ally of the light not of the darkness”, in a reference to President Donald Trump’s administration.

“The current president has cloaked America in darkness for much too long. Too much anger. Too much fear. Too much division,” Biden said.

“Here and now, I give you my word: If you entrust me with the presidency, I will draw on the best of us not the worst.”

He added: “It’s time for us, for we the people, to come together. For make no mistake. United we can, and will, overcome this season of darkness in America. We will choose hope over fear, facts over fiction, fairness over privilege.”

The Democrat devoted much of his speech to outlining his plan to tackle the coronavirus epidemic in the US, the world’s worst-hit country with nearly 175,000 deaths and nearly 5.6 million confirmed cases, while also taking the opportunity to criticize Trump.

“As president, the first step I will take will be to get control of the virus that’s ruined so many lives. Because, I understand something this president doesn’t. We will never get our economy back on track, we will never get our kids safely back to school, we will never have our lives back, until we deal with this virus,” he said.

“Our current president has failed in his most basic duty to this nation. He failed to protect us. He failed to protect America. And, my fellow Americans, that is unforgivable.”

Biden also made an impassioned plea to American voters not to give Trump a second chance.

“What we know about this president is if he’s given four more years he will be what he’s been the last four years,” he said.

Biden also touched upon some points of his plan to bring back jobs, rebuild infrastructure, expand the healthcare system, provide access to higher education, have an immigration system “that powers our economy and reflects our values” and address climate change.

He also referred to the protests against racism and police violence and hoped that the murder of African-American George Floyd in May by a white police official would mark a “breaking point” in the country, where the discourse on racial injustice is on the forefront.

“America’s history tells us that it has been in our darkest moments that we’ve made our greatest progress. That we’ve found the light. And in this dark moment, I believe we are poised to make great progress again. That we can find the light once more,” Biden said.

“History has thrust one more urgent task on us. Will we be the generation that finally wipes the stain of racism from our national character? I believe we’re up to it. I believe we’re ready.”

He said it was a “battle that we, together, will win.”

Meanwhile, Trump lost no time in tweeting on his rival’s address.

“In 47 years, Joe did none of the things of which he now speaks. He will never change, just words,” the president wrote.