Increase the readiness and resiliency of your household with these concise, 30-minute classes.  Every Wednesday night at 7pm starting September 8th.  Your instructor is Ann Forrest, SeattlePrepares@gmail.com, an experienced educator and a strong advocate of the Emergency Communication Hubs.

Zoom Webinars: Disaster Preparedness classes - Six Wednesday evenings at 7pm starting Sep 8th and ending Oct 13th.

Upcoming Classes:
- Radio Class (Wed, Oct 27) at 7pm...  https://signup.com/go/FDoBpzZ
- Rapid Exit Class (Wed, Nov 10) at 7pm... https://signup.com/go/OVWopLb
 

The Zoom link will be the same for all the classes.

   Sep 8 - What To Do When the Earth Shakes & Mobile Apps to Download Now  /  See Resources below

   Sep 15 - Water Essentials & Sanitation /  See Resources below

   Sep 22 - Managing Utilities After a Disaster & Power Outages /  See Resources below  (Presented by Carl Leon)

   Sep 29 - Communicating After a Quake & the  Early Earthquake Warning system /  See Resources below

   Oct 6 - How To Create Your Plan  & Building your "Get Home" bag  /  See Resources below 

   Oct 13 - Preparing with Neighbors  & Prepared Communities (Emergency Hubs)

   Oct-27 - Communicating After a Disaster

   Nov-21 - Rapid Exit

Mark your calendar for every Wednesday night for 7pm between Sep 8th and Oct 13th.  

If you have to miss a session, no worries.  Recordings will be sent out.

If you have trouble with the SignUp, or wish to join after the series has started, please contact Ann at SeattlePrepares@gmail.com.

Learn How the City of Seattle Plans to Respond After An Earthquake

The Office of Emergency Management, in coordination with representatives from multiple City departments, has organized a series of webinars focused on the City’s earthquake response plans. The first webinar was held on May 27th and will be a high-level overview of how the City prioritizes and coordinates during response to a major earthquake. The four subsequent webinars will occur during June through September and will dive deeper into individual areas of the response including firefighting, mass care, and utility and transportation restoration. Each webinar will also highlight how individual and neighborhood preparedness efforts tie into the overall response.
 
All webinars are open to the public and will include captioning in Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Vietnamese. All sessions will include a Q&A session at the end, and will be recorded and posted to the Seattle OEM YouTube channel. Registration is not required, but participants can register to receive a confirmation email, calendar appointment, and event reminders. View the full schedule on OEM’s events calendar or see session information below. 

------------------------------------
VIDEO: City of Seattle Earthquake Response:
Overview of Response Priorities and Coordination 
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WqX7hf6UqRU 
May 27, 2021
Description: Seattle Office of Emergency Management staff will provide an overview of our region's earthquake risk, likely earthquake impacts, and describe what a local government response to a catastrophic earthquake looks like. This will include an overview of citywide response priorities and coordination, how the city communicates emergency information to the public, and key preparedness actions the public can take before an earthquake happens.
------------------------------------
VIDEO: City of Seattle Earthquake Response: Firefighting, Search and Rescue, and Hazardous Materials Response  
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9uiEKNM-KRU&t=17s
June 21, 2021
Description: Staff from the Seattle Fire Department will provide an overview of how the City directs life safety response operations after a major earthquake This will include information on how they prioritize their response efforts with limited resources, how they begin requesting outside assistance, and what the public can do to prepare.
------------------------------------
VIDEO: City of Seattle Earthquake Response:
Emergency Shelter and Feeding
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OBpbUMIZMRs
July 26, 2021
Description: Staff from the Seattle Human Services will provide an overview of how the City will coordinate with regional partners to stand up shelter and feeding operations after a major earthquake, and the implications for personal preparedness.
------------------------------------
VIDEO: City of Seattle Earthquake Response:
Utility Restoration
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y1f_IfP4Fs8
August 11, 2021
Description:  Staff from Seattle City Light and Seattle Public Utilities will provide an overview of plans for restoring utility service after a major earthquake. This will include information on how damage to utilities is assessed, how restoration is prioritized, where your personal preparedness fits with utility response, and how utility providers coordinate with other City departments and with regional partners.
------------------------------------
VIDEO: City of Seattle Earthquake Response:
​Transportation Restoration
Sept 14, 2021
Youtube link is pending
Description: Staff from the Seattle Department of Transportation (SDOT) will provide an overview of plans for restoring transportation after a major earthquake. This will include information on how the restoration of roadways and bridges is prioritized, and how SDOT coordinates with other City departments and with regional transportation agencies.

Anne Churchill, South Park Hub Co-Captain and her able assistant 
talked about the new Hub in South Park at the Duwamish River Days Festival

Learn more about Seattle Emergency Hubs HERE

Webinar Class #1 (Sep-8-2021)
- What To Do When the Earth Shakes  /  Mobile Apps to Download

Handout sheet:  Class #1.pdf > Smartphone Apps (Youtube)
Class Video: https://youtu.be/HY-X1uFLWfU  (from a previous class)
Class PowerPoint Slides:  Class #1.pptx  (Used in class webinar)
Infographic: Immediate Earthquake Reaction PNG


Smartphone Apps (Youtube) explains how to install several apps on your smartphone with QR Codes or with text codes.  The app list below has links to the video app times.
If you need help with using QR Codes go HERE.  or  App Video @ 3:30 

You can also go to the Android & Apple app stores directly and search for the apps.
​Look for the icons shown in the video. Group the apps on one screen or in one folder.

Here are some web links to help with choosing which apps to install or notifications to sign up for.
Watch the Smartphone Apps video for descriptions

Alert King County  / Website based  /  App Video @ 9:46

Alert Seattle  / Website based  /  App Video @ 9:08

Alert FEMA  >  Android  /  iPhone      /     App Video @ 4:55

Google Translate   >  Android  /  iPhone   /    App Video @ 8:05

Handling Hazardous Materials  >   Android  /  iPhone  /  App Video @ 7:46

Hazard Explorer  /  Hazard Ready  / Website based

Knot Tying  >    Android  /  iPhone   /   App Video @ 8:30

Maps Offline  /     Nav Apps Video @ 10:40 
Maps.me    >     Android  /  iPhone
Google Maps  >  Android  /  iPhone
How to use Google Maps and Maps.me Offline

​PulsePoint Download       /      App Video @ 5:15
PulsePoint Respond  >   Android  /  iPhone
PulsePoint AED     >      Android  /  iPhone

Red Cross Apps         /               App Video @ 4:00 (Alert)  /  App Video @ 6:35 (First Aid)
   Android: Emergency Alert / First Aid  /  Pet First Aid
   iPhone:  Emergency Alert / First Aid  /  Pet First Aid

​Smart911 / Website based  /  App Video @ 10:03

Survival Guide > Android  /  iPhone   /  App Video @ 7:30
Survival Manual U.S. Army

WebMD  >  Android  /  iPhone     /     App Video @ 7:12  


SAVE THE DATE!  "Double Trouble" Exercise!
Watch an "Emergency Communication Hub" in Action!  
Saturday, Sep 18
9am to 1pm
Maple Leaf Reservoir Park (NE 83rd St and Roosevelt Way NE)
Saturday, Sep 25
9am to 1pm
Behind the Jefferson Community Center (3801 Beacon Ave S.)
Double Trouble - flyer.pdf

Additional Resources
FEMA Poster: Protect Yourself During Earthquakes 
Unreinforced Masonry Buildings 
​     (June 2021) List of URMs - Seattle Department of Construction and Inspections
Seattle Hazard Explorer
Could a Tsunami Hit Puget Sound?
Youtube: How to Secure Heavy Furniture for an Earthquake > Flash.org
Securing Bookcases 
​Youtube:  How to Secure Hanging Artwork for an Earthquake
Securing TVs and Computer Screens 
​Securing Kitchen Cabinets 

What To Do When the Earth Shakes Class #1
In bed: Face down - Pillow over your head - Protect your neck - Stay there until the shaking stops - Grab your
light - Put on your shoes
In school or an office: Move away from windows - Drop, Cover, and Hold On - Protect your neck
No table, no desk: Crawl to an interior wall or next to low-lying furniture (couch) - Stay there until shaking
stops
In a store: Next to a grocery cart – Beneath clothing racks - Lock your wheelchair wheels – Protect kids
In an elevator: Push all the buttons to get the elevator to stop and try to get out
In a theater: Get as low as you can – Protect your head and neck
Just left a building: Go back inside – Drop, Cover, and Hold On
Outside: Get as low as you can – Stay away from power lines, buildings, and vehicles
Driving: Pull over – Set the parking brake – Avoid overpasses, bridges, power lines, etc.
Near the shore or beneath a dam: Drop and protect head – As soon as you can, walk quickly to high ground or
inland. Signs that a tsunami is coming: The ground shakes or water recedes below low tide level.​

Contact: Ann Forrest  SeattlePrepares@gmail.com

Webinar Class #1 Video : What to do when the earth shakes

Webinar Class #1 Video : Mobile Apps to Download

Webinar Class #2 (Sep-15-2021) Water and what you need to know / Sanitation
​​Class #2 Overview  HERE 
Class Video  Class #2 - YouTube
Disinfection of Drinking Water  HERE
Drinking From Your Hot Water Tank   HERE 
Filling Your Own Water Bottles  HERE
Twin Bucket Toilet Directions  HERE

Webinar Class #3 (Sep-22-2021) Managing Utilities After a Disaster 
Class #3 Overview  HERE 
Class #3 Video   YouTube
- Tools for handling utilities - Emergency Tool
- Tools for turning off water - Water Meter Key

What Is a Circuit Breaker Panel?

Natural Gas - Turn off only if you smell gas or hear hissing sound.

Electricity – Shut it off at the electrical circuit panel if 1 or 2 happens.
1. You see sparks or broken or frayed wires
2. You smell burning insulation
When power is lost
3. If you don't use the Circuit breakers, you can unplug individual electronic devices to protect from surges.
4. If you do use the Circuit breaker panel, turn off individual circuits and leave one circuit on with a light to tell you when power is restored.

Water – Should be turned off after an earthquake until it is safe to use!
The risk is that building water pipes can become contaminated from outside water if they are not isolated.
We need to know if building water supplies will be isolated from the street water main after an earthquake.
This is up to AG Building Maintenance.
​

Webinar Class #4 (Sep-29-2021) 
Communicating After a Quake & the  Early Earthquake Warning system
Class #4 Video HERE
Class #4 Handout HERE
Class #4 Slides HERE
Class #4 Slides > PDF HERE
​
Webinar Class #4 (of 6) is Wednesday 9/29 at 7PM
Click the Zoom link 5 minutes before 7PM:  https://us02web.zoom.us/j/86453990261
"Communicating After a Quake & the  Early Earthquake Warning system"

Handout for class #4 / PDF 
Communicating After an Earthquake Class #4
After an earthquake...
1. Check on people/pets around you
2. Manage utilities (Class #3)
Natural Gas – Shut it off If you smell/hear a gas leak
Electricity – Shut it off if you see damaged wires or smell insulation burning
Water – Always turn it off after an earthquake until you know that it is safe to use!
3. Make contact with family/friends
4. Get more information
Do NOT call 9-1-1
Landlines are rare! Very few have copper wire all the way to the phone company...
TEXT is best: Include date/time in each text and give good information (condition, location, plan)
Out-of-town contact 
Relay messages between people on the ground
Spokane or further east
Give them a to-do list
Write down important phone numbers!
     3x5 card in a plastic bag – make several copies!
     Printable Index Cards Avery 5388: Buy stock on Amazon  /  Download Avery Templates 

Off-grid messaging
Texting apps – Bridgefy is one of several Offline messaging apps
Devices - goTenna or Beartooth devices
Satellite messengers (true off-grid communications)
Alert Seattle and Alert King County – sign up!
Local emergency radio stations
KIRO 710 AM and 97.3 FM KOMO 1000 AM and 97.7 FM

Early Earthquake Warning
P waves (fast but little shaking) and S waves (slower but more shaking)
Sensors detect P waves, analyze signal, and send out alert, if appropriate
Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) – enable now!   
Mobile apps – coming
You want both - WEA and mobile app...
Alert & Warning Notifications (Washington Emergency Management)

Class #4 Youtube Video

 Webinar Class #5 (Oct-6-2021) 
How To Create Your Plan  & Building your "Get Home" bag   

Class #5 Handout HERE  (also copied below)
Class #5 Video HERE (also displayed below)
Class #5 Slides HERE > PDF HERE  

What Should “My Plan” Look Like? Class #5
Plan based on knowing your hazards?
Seattle’s Hazards (SHIVA) **Shelter-in-place

Go Bag:  House fire, ambulance ride
Stay Box: Earthquakes, weather
Get Home Bag:  Walking home

Your Recovery Plan
FEMA Assistance:
• Housing: Disaster housing ~18 months
• Grants: Capped at $32,000, Expenses not covered by insurance and other aid programs
   • Replacement of personal property, transportation, medical, dental and funeral expenses
• Loans: Low-interest disaster loans from the Small Business Administration
   • Triggered by $40,000 personal property loss or $200,000 real estate loss
Walk away from your mortgage…
• Washington is a “Non-Recourse” state, sort of
• Bank can use a judge to put a lien on all real and personal property, garnish wages, etc. to recover the difference between your mortgage and what they could sell the foreclosed property for. 

Homework:
_Create your plan with household members!
_Build your “Get Home” bag and stash at work, in car, commuter bag, etc.
_Download appropriate maps so your navigation apps will work offline (see Class #1)
_Sign up for the Seattle Prepares newsletter to learn about future classes.

​More Resources:
Seattle Hazard Explorer HERE  &  HERE (Around Arrowhead Gardens)
School Reunification Plan Youtube

Stay Box & Go Bag Resources:

1. Infographic brochure: 1-page PDF HERE  (added 10/11/2021)
   Complete PDF brochures for 2 Weeks Ready: https://mil.wa.gov/preparedness > Publications
2. A Disaster Kit for Staying at Home
3. Stay Box: Basics
4. 15 items everyone should have in their at-home emergency kit
5. Ready.gov Build a Kit
6. Red Cross Survival Kit
7. Worksheets for Emergency Supply Kits + more 

Comments:
There are some items you would want in a Stay Box or a Go Bag.
Put those items in a Go Bag and store it with the Stay Box.
The Stay Box is for a few weeks and the Go Bag is for a few days.
Within the Go Bag, you could have a Hospital Bag.

Webinar Class #6 (Oct-13-2021)
Preparing with Neighbors & Prepared Communities
Class #6 Handout  HERE (also copied below)​
Class #6 Video (4/19/21) HERE
Class #6 Video (10/13/2021) HERE  (also displayed below)
Class #6 Slides  PPT > PDF

Seattle Emergency Hubs: HERE | MAP | RESOURCES |
  West Seattle Be Prepared: HERE | MAP 
SNAP: Seattle Neighborhoods Actively Prepare:
   Resources | Training request | SNAP Map Form
  

Mission for Emergency Communications Hubs
1. Gather and Share Information
2. Match Needs and Resources
3. Organize Volunteers
4. Educate

Prepare with Neighbors Class #6 PDF Notes

Engage with neighbors – they are your help until help arrives!
Neighbors can be very useful as motivational tools!
   o Learn together – Prepare together
   o Hold one another accountable!
In addition to supporting household preparedness, neighbors can also...
   o Turn off gas to houses to prevent fires o Turn off water
   o Gather together to help everyone remember what to do
   o Check on those needing extra care (elderly, injured, children, etc.)
   o Cook together!

Prepare with your Community -
Emergency Communication Hubs
- Neighbors will gather outside, in open spaces, and work to save lives and reduce suffering.
- Some communities are organized and have gear in place to help neighbors organize (Hubs).
- Hubs do NOT have food or water for the community.
- Everyone involved in the Hubs is a volunteer!

Handout Homework:
1. Gather with neighbors – prepare together!
   o Contact Seattle’s Office of Emergency Management to request training for your neighbors
2. Find your Emergency Communication Hub HERE
   o Reach out to the Hub Captain; ask to be included in upcoming events.
   o Join the Hub network’s mailing list HERE
3. Sign up for the Seattle Prepares newsletter to be notified about the next round of classes!

2021 Upcoming Events!
• Oct 21st (Thursday) - See a Hub in action!
               Madison Park (4201 E. Madison Park) from 4 to 6pm
• Oct 27th (Wednesday) – Radio / Communications Class from 7-8pm
                https://signup.com/go/FDoBpzZ
• Oct 30th (Saturday) – Halloween-themed “Skills Fair” – University Heights Hub Grand Opening!
                University Heights (5031 University Way NE, 98105)
                More details coming in class follow-up...
• Nov 10th (Wednesday) – Rapid Exit Class from 7-8pm
                What would you grab, if you safely could, as you leave for a medical/fire emergency? 
                https://signup.com/go/OVWopL

"The Hill We Climb" by Amanda Gorman
Presented at Inauguration - 1/20/2021

When day comes we ask ourselves,
where can we find light in this never-ending shade?
The loss we carry,
a sea we must wade
We've braved the belly of the beast
We've learned that quiet isn't always peace
And the norms and notions
of what just is
Isn’t always just-ice
And yet the dawn is ours
before we knew it
Somehow we do it
Somehow we've weathered and witnessed
a nation that isn’t broken
but simply unfinished
We the successors of a country and a time
Where a skinny Black girl
descended from slaves and raised by a single mother
can dream of becoming president
only to find herself reciting for one

And yes we are far from polished
far from pristine
but that doesn’t mean we are
striving to form a union that is perfect
We are striving to forge a union with purpose
To compose a country committed to all cultures, colors, characters and
conditions of man
And so we lift our gazes not to what stands between us
but what stands before us
We close the divide because we know, to put our future first,
we must first put our differences aside
We lay down our arms
so we can reach out our arms
to one another
We seek harm to none and harmony for all
Let the globe, if nothing else, say this is true:
That even as we grieved, we grew
That even as we hurt, we hoped
That even as we tired, we tried
That we’ll forever be tied together, victorious
Not because we will never again know defeat
but because we will never again sow division

Scripture tells us to envision
that everyone shall sit under their own vine and fig tree
And no one shall make them afraid
If we’re to live up to our own time
Then victory won’t lie in the blade
But in all the bridges we’ve made
That is the promise to glade
The hill we climb
If only we dare
It's because being American is more than a pride we inherit,
it’s the past we step into
and how we repair it
We’ve seen a force that would shatter our nation
rather than share it
Would destroy our country if it meant delaying democracy
And this effort very nearly succeeded

But while democracy can be periodically delayed
it can never be permanently defeated
In this truth
in this faith we trust
For while we have our eyes on the future
history has its eyes on us
This is the era of just redemption
We feared at its inception
We did not feel prepared to be the heirs
of such a terrifying hour
but within it we found the power
to author a new chapter
To offer hope and laughter to ourselves
So while once we asked,
how could we possibly prevail over catastrophe?
Now we assert
How could catastrophe possibly prevail over us?

We will not march back to what was
but move to what shall be
A country that is bruised but whole,
benevolent but bold,
fierce and free
We will not be turned around
or interrupted by intimidation
because we know our inaction and inertia
will be the inheritance of the next generation
Our blunders become their burdens
But one thing is certain:
If we merge mercy with might,
and might with right,
then love becomes our legacy
and change our children’s birthright
​
So let us leave behind a country
better than the one we were left with
Every breath from my bronze-pounded chest,
we will raise this wounded world into a wondrous one
We will rise from the gold-limbed hills of the west,
we will rise from the windswept northeast
where our forefathers first realized revolution
We will rise from the lake-rimmed cities of the midwestern states,
we will rise from the sunbaked south
We will rebuild, reconcile and recover
and every known nook of our nation and
every corner called our country,
our people diverse and beautiful will emerge,
battered and beautiful
When day comes we step out of the shade,
aflame and unafraid
The new dawn blooms as we free it
For there is always light,
if only we’re brave enough to see it
If only we’re brave enough to be it

Full Text of Biden's Inaugural Speech - 1/20/2021

Chief Justice Roberts, Vice President Harris, Speaker Pelosi, Leader Schumer, Leader McConnell, Vice President Pence, distinguished guests, and my fellow Americans.
​
This is America’s day.

This is democracy’s day.
A day of history and hope.
Of renewal and resolve.
Through a crucible for the ages America has been tested anew and America has risen to the challenge.
Today, we celebrate the triumph not of a candidate, but of a cause, the cause of democracy.
The will of the people has been heard and the will of the people has been heeded.
We have learned again that democracy is precious.
Democracy is fragile.
And at this hour, my friends, democracy has prevailed.
So now, on this hallowed ground where just days ago violence sought to shake this Capitol’s very foundation, we come together as one nation, under God, indivisible, to carry out the peaceful transfer of power as we have for more than two centuries.
We look ahead in our uniquely American way — restless, bold, optimistic — and set our sights on the nation we know we can be and we must be.
I thank my predecessors of both parties for their presence here.
I thank them from the bottom of my heart.
You know the resilience of our Constitution and the strength of our nation.
As does President Carter, who I spoke to last night but who cannot be with us today, but whom we salute for his lifetime of service.
I have just taken the sacred oath each of these patriots took — an oath first sworn by George Washington.
But the American story depends not on any one of us, not on some of us, but on all of us.
On “We the People” who seek a more perfect Union.
This is a great nation and we are a good people.
Over the centuries through storm and strife, in peace and in war, we have come so far. But we still have far to go.
We will press forward with speed and urgency, for we have much to do in this winter of peril and possibility.
Much to repair.
Much to restore.
Much to heal.
Much to build.
And much to gain.
Few periods in our nation’s history have been more challenging or difficult than the one we’re in now.
A once-in-a-century virus silently stalks the country.
It’s taken as many lives in one year as America lost in all of World War II.
Millions of jobs have been lost.
Hundreds of thousands of businesses closed.
A cry for racial justice some 400 years in the making moves us. The dream of justice for all will be deferred no longer.
A cry for survival comes from the planet itself. A cry that can’t be any more desperate or any more clear.
And now, a rise in political extremism, white supremacy, domestic terrorism that we must confront and we will defeat.
To overcome these challenges – to restore the soul and to secure the future of America – requires more than words.
It requires that most elusive of things in a democracy:
Unity.
Unity.
In another January in Washington, on New Year’s Day 1863, Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation.
When he put pen to paper, the President said, “If my name ever goes down into history it will be for this act and my whole soul is in it.”
My whole soul is in it.
Today, on this January day, my whole soul is in this:
Bringing America together.
Uniting our people.
And uniting our nation.
I ask every American to join me in this cause.
Uniting to fight the common foes we face:
Anger, resentment, hatred.
Extremism, lawlessness, violence.
Disease, joblessness, hopelessness.
With unity we can do great things. Important things.
We can right wrongs.
We can put people to work in good jobs.
We can teach our children in safe schools.
We can overcome this deadly virus.
We can reward work, rebuild the middle class, and make health care
secure for all.
We can deliver racial justice.
We can make America, once again, the leading force for good in the world.
I know speaking of unity can sound to some like a foolish fantasy.
I know the forces that divide us are deep and they are real.
But I also know they are not new.
Our history has been a constant struggle between the American ideal that we are all created equal and the harsh, ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, and demonization have long torn us apart.
The battle is perennial.
Victory is never assured.
Through the Civil War, the Great Depression, World War, 9/11, through struggle, sacrifice, and setbacks, our “better angels” have always prevailed.
In each of these moments, enough of us came together to carry all of us forward.
And, we can do so now.
History, faith, and reason show the way, the way of unity.
We can see each other not as adversaries but as neighbors.
We can treat each other with dignity and respect.
We can join forces, stop the shouting, and lower the temperature.
For without unity, there is no peace, only bitterness and fury.
No progress, only exhausting outrage.
No nation, only a state of chaos.
This is our historic moment of crisis and challenge, and unity is the path forward.
And, we must meet this moment as the United States of America.
If we do that, I guarantee you, we will not fail.
We have never, ever, ever failed in America when we have acted together.
And so today, at this time and in this place, let us start afresh.
All of us.
Let us listen to one another.
Hear one another.
See one another.
Show respect to one another.
Politics need not be a raging fire destroying everything in its path.
Every disagreement doesn’t have to be a cause for total war.
And, we must reject a culture in which facts themselves are manipulated and even manufactured.
My fellow Americans, we have to be different than this.
America has to be better than this.
And, I believe America is better than this.
Just look around.
Here we stand, in the shadow of a Capitol dome that was completed amid the Civil War, when the Union itself hung in the balance.
Yet we endured and we prevailed.
Here we stand looking out to the great Mall where Dr. King spoke of his dream.
Here we stand, where 108 years ago at another inaugural, thousands of protestors tried to block brave women from marching for the right to vote.
Today, we mark the swearing-in of the first woman in American history elected to national office – Vice President Kamala Harris.
Don’t tell me things can’t change.
Here we stand across the Potomac from Arlington National Cemetery, where heroes who gave the last full measure of devotion rest in eternal peace.
And here we stand, just days after a riotous mob thought they could use violence to silence the will of the people, to stop the work of our democracy, and to drive us from this sacred ground.
That did not happen.
It will never happen.
Not today.
Not tomorrow.
Not ever.
To all those who supported our campaign I am humbled by the faith you have placed in us.
To all those who did not support us, let me say this: Hear me out as we move forward. Take a measure of me and my heart.
And if you still disagree, so be it.
That’s democracy. That’s America. The right to dissent peaceably, within the guardrails of our Republic, is perhaps our nation’s greatest strength.
Yet hear me clearly: Disagreement must not lead to disunion.
And I pledge this to you: I will be a President for all Americans.
I will fight as hard for those who did not support me as for those who did.
Many centuries ago, Saint Augustine, a saint of my church, wrote that a people was a multitude defined by the common objects of their love.
What are the common objects we love that define us as Americans?
I think I know.
Opportunity.
Security.
Liberty.
Dignity.
Respect.
Honor.
And, yes, the truth.
Recent weeks and months have taught us a painful lesson.
There is truth and there are lies.
Lies told for power and for profit.
And each of us has a duty and responsibility, as citizens, as Americans, and especially as leaders – leaders who have pledged to honor our Constitution and protect our nation — to defend the truth and to defeat the lies.
I understand that many Americans view the future with some fear and trepidation.
I understand they worry about their jobs, about taking care of their families, about what comes next.
I get it.
But the answer is not to turn inward, to retreat into competing factions, distrusting those who don’t look like you do, or worship the way you do, or don’t get their news from the same sources you do.
We must end this uncivil war that pits red against blue, rural versus urban, conservative versus liberal.
We can do this if we open our souls instead of hardening our hearts.
If we show a little tolerance and humility.
If we’re willing to stand in the other person’s shoes just for a moment.
Because here is the thing about life: There is no accounting for what fate will deal you.
There are some days when we need a hand.
There are other days when we’re called on to lend one.
That is how we must be with one another.
And, if we are this way, our country will be stronger, more prosperous, more ready for the future.
My fellow Americans, in the work ahead of us, we will need each other.
We will need all our strength to persevere through this dark winter.
We are entering what may well be the toughest and deadliest period of the virus.
We must set aside the politics and finally face this pandemic as one nation.
I promise you this: as the Bible says weeping may endure for a night but joy cometh in the morning.
We will get through this, together
The world is watching today.
So here is my message to those beyond our borders: America has been tested and we have come out stronger for it.
We will repair our alliances and engage with the world once again.
Not to meet yesterday’s challenges, but today’s and tomorrow’s.
We will lead not merely by the example of our power but by the power of our example.
We will be a strong and trusted partner for peace, progress, and security.
We have been through so much in this nation.
And, in my first act as President, I would like to ask you to join me in a moment of silent prayer to remember all those we lost this past year to the pandemic.
To those 400,000 fellow Americans – mothers and fathers, husbands and wives, sons and daughters, friends, neighbors, and co-workers.
We will honor them by becoming the people and nation we know we can and should be.
Let us say a silent prayer for those who lost their lives, for those they left behind, and for our country.
Amen.
This is a time of testing.
We face an attack on democracy and on truth.
A raging virus.
Growing inequity.
The sting of systemic racism.
A climate in crisis.
America’s role in the world.
Any one of these would be enough to challenge us in profound ways.
But the fact is we face them all at once, presenting this nation with the gravest of responsibilities.
Now we must step up.
All of us.
It is a time for boldness, for there is so much to do.
And, this is certain.
We will be judged, you and I, for how we resolve the cascading crises of our era.
Will we rise to the occasion?
Will we master this rare and difficult hour?
Will we meet our obligations and pass along a new and better world for our children?
I believe we must and I believe we will.
And when we do, we will write the next chapter in the American story.
It’s a story that might sound something like a song that means a lot to me.
It’s called “American Anthem” and there is one verse stands out for me:
“The work and prayers
of centuries have brought us to this day
What shall be our legacy?
What will our children say?...
Let me know in my heart
When my days are through
America
America
I gave my best to you.”
Let us add our own work and prayers to the unfolding story of our nation.
If we do this then when our days are through our children and our children’s children will say of us they gave their best.
They did their duty.
They healed a broken land.
My fellow Americans, I close today where I began, with a sacred oath.
Before God and all of you I give you my word.
I will always level with you.
I will defend the Constitution.
I will defend our democracy.
I will defend America.
I will give my all in your service thinking not of power, but of possibilities.
Not of personal interest, but of the public good.
And together, we shall write an American story of hope, not fear.
Of unity, not division.
Of light, not darkness.
An American story of decency and dignity.
Of love and of healing.
Of greatness and of goodness.
May this be the story that guides us.
The story that inspires us.
The story that tells ages yet to come that we answered the call of history.
We met the moment.
That democracy and hope, truth and justice, did not die on our watch but thrived.
That our America secured liberty at home and stood once again as a beacon to the world.
That is what we owe our forebearers, one another, and generations to follow.
So, with purpose and resolve we turn to the tasks of our time.
Sustained by faith.
Driven by conviction.
And, devoted to one another and to this country we love with all our hearts.
May God bless America and may God protect our troops.
Thank you, America.