An Open Letter to President-Elect Biden

Dear President-Elect Biden,

I want to congratulate you on your election to be the 46th President of the United States of America. It's hard to imagine what a sense of accomplishment one must feel to be elected to, what is viewed by many, as the highest office in the world. During a most interesting year, amidst all types of perilous conditions, it must feel all the sweeter. As you prepare for your inauguration, I hope that you feel the support of Americans and that you have ample time and space with your family to consider and reflect on this moment. Please, receive my words of congratulations among the many I'm sure you have already and will continue to receive.

In turn, along with my congratulatory tone, I want to be candid with you. While I support you in the role you've been elected to, I did not support the idea of electing you. We differ on many issues, and that's ok. You've said since winning that, "We may be opponents - but we are not enemies. We are Americans." To hold on to their word is to, in a way, dignify a person. It's in this attitude that I ask you to receive my candid approach, as I give you, my opponent, the benefit of the doubt that your words are sincere.

My support of you is not unbridled. Though I will do all I can to be a good, loving neighbor as an ordinary citizen of the United States, I have some very serious concerns about your position on many modern issues. Perhaps most importantly, I believe that a child in the womb is a life that has not less dignity than the live you've lived for the past 77 years. While I will work to support mothers that are in anxiety filled, unplanned, and even perhaps unwanted parental roles, I will vehemently but civilly oppose any efforts to expand access to abortion. Moreover, I will actively work to limit or end such access. I realize that this may sound offensive and even un-American to you, but remember Mr. President-Elect, we are opponents, not enemies.

While I don't care to identify with any particular political party, I want you to know that I have some serious concerns about what I see as the radicalization of the Democratic party. More fundamental to my identification with America is my identity as a Christian. When I confess that I am a Christian, I am confessing that I am under the Lordship of Jesus Christ, that I live my life to follow and obey Him, and I proclaim that the presidency is subservient in every way to Him. It seems that the party you align yourself with will accept my beliefs - to an extent. Some of those that I call brothers and sisters have been deemed to be hateful, bigoted, and discriminatory when actively seeking to hold fast to their religious convictions, something that our First Amendment protects, but ultimately does not bestow upon us. The murkiness of the laws of our land and how they intersect with the freedom of religion give me great concern, particularly as I see the Democratic discuss such matters. Remember though, Mr. President-Elect, that we are opponents, not enemies.

Lastly, I want to express my concerns with the general demeanor I see with the Democratic party. While I know that tribalism can exist within any ideology, the particular aggressiveness I see within extreme liberalism, which I would say is increasingly synonymous with the term Democrat, is particularly concerning. I am concerned that Vice President-Elect Harris has a personal animosity towards those who are not supportive of the social issues that outflow from, or are linked to, the policies that she aligns with. I am generally more conservative politically, and what I mean in saying so is that I would like to be able to live more free from the government when I'm living civilly and responsibly. I don't have a criminal record, am an established professional, a responsible and present father, and I want to take care of my responsibilities. I pay my taxes, but I would like for those to not increase. Consistent with this, I expect less from my government in terms of provisions and obligations, and more consistency of protecting the fundamental freedoms of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Extreme liberalism seems to have an increasingly uniform, yet ironically abstract definition of these ideas. I feel that in aiming, or claiming to protect these liberties, modern Democratic ideology is truly beginning to infringe upon and restrict them. I'm not assuming this is purposeful, but I am utterly convinced it's reality.

Mr. President-Elect, thank you for your time. Thank you for the ways that you have spent decades, in various roles, in seeking to serve the United States. In perilous times, individuals often grow to a maturity that would not otherwise have existed. Perhaps this can be true of the United States. Know that I deeply care about the poor, the outcast, and my neighbor in general. If this is true of you, we are neither opponents or enemies in this regard. As long as Providence wills your presidency, I am committed to supporting your efforts to demonstrate the love and care that so many in our nation need. May we work towards a truthful pursuit of what is best for America and hopefully, hopefully see a little brighter world as a result.

With Kindness and Charity,

An average citizen