President Biden was inaugurated as the 46th president of the United States on Wednesday.

It was a cold and briefly snowy day in Washington as Biden and Vice President Harris were sworn

in at the U.S. Capitol Building. But the moment was marked by reminders that our country's

circumstances are far from normal. Attendees wore masks and the small number of guests were seated

at a distance. Barricades lined the area around the Capitol and thousands of National Guardsmen

surrounded much of downtown Washington. In his speech, Biden acknowledged our country's challenges.

It was a speech that captured a somber yet hopeful moment for many Americans.

I know speaking of unity can sound as some like a foolish fantasy these days.

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're all

are created equal and the harsh ugly reality that racism, nativism, fear, demonization

and democracy have long torn us apart. The battle is perennial and victory is never assured.

Through civil war, the Great Depression, World War 9-11, through struggles,

sacrifice and setbacks, our better angels have always prevailed.

The new president is inheriting a country facing real, serious challenges.

Institutions have been weakened. The country is more divided than ever. The ways we measure and

understand political sentiment are flawed. And misinformation and disinformation have become

powerful pieces of the national discourse. That's a tall order for any administration.

Yet Biden and his team have vowed to move our nation forward. Biden campaigned on a promise

to fix what's broken to repair divisions, to pull this country out of sickness, and to restore some

of the norms and institutions that were pillars of the Washington in which he built his career.

He even promised this again in his inaugural speech.

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