On the night before his inauguration, President-elect Joe Biden led a national remembrance of the 400,000 Americans who have died from COVID-19.
In front of the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool, Biden said “to heal, we must remember.” The pool was lit with 400 lights. They were the only lights on the whole National Mall making them incredibly stark.
Biden commented, “between sundown and dusk, let us shine the lights in the darkness along this sacred pool of reflection and remember all who we lost.” The Biden administration coordinated with several cities to make the symbolism national. The Space Needle and the Empire State Building similarly lit in solidarity.
In the short service, Biden and Kamala Harris spoke on death and healing. “If there are any angels in heaven,” Biden said, “they’re all nurses.” He continued, “we know from our family experience what you do, the courage and the pain you absorb for others. So, thank you. Thank you.”
The vice president-elect then spoke, “For many months, we have grieved by ourselves. Tonight, we grieve and begin healing together. Though we may be physically separated, we the American people are united in spirit.”
The Biden Administration has set lofty goals for their first 100 days including a $1.9 trillion COVID-19 relief bill and a plan to vaccinate 100 million Americans in their first 100 days.
