I'd like to start this off by saying I am not a Political Science major nor am I a History Major but that is not needed to be able to understand that this inauguration was a historical moment for so many reasons. I am a citizen of The United States of America and man, how blessed and proud I feel to be one today. A feeling that I have not felt in a very long time. Today, we saw democracy and goodness prevail.

These last four years have been rooted in hatred and division. We have seen white supremacists come out of the shadows and feel empowered because President 45 refused to denounce them. It was scary and eye-opening to see that there is a population that exists like this in our America. It reached a boiling point when President 45 repeatedly preached to his loyal patriots that this election was "stolen from him and them" and told them to "fight much harder" for the election that was stolen from them. I, like many Americans, was outraged and terrified to see the domestic terrorists that looted the halls of the Capitol just two weeks ago. We saw lives lost that very day and what makes it worse is that the 400,000 lives lost to COVID-19 have left us desensitized to the sting of the American lives lost.

But today, we woke up and watched as Joe Biden promised us to lead us toward a more united America. President Joe Biden promised to be a president for all Americans not just those who voted for him or against but for ALL. This is quite a few steps up from our last presidential administration.

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Whether you agree with Joe Biden's policies or not, I ask you to help unite America. I ask you to not only hear different opinions but listen. I ask you not to see other people but respect them. I ask you to rejoice with me that for the very first time in American history, we have a vice president that is not only a woman but the first black and Asian-American in history to be vice president. As if Kamala Harris hadn't broken enough glass ceilings, she is a daughter of immigrants.

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Today, I wept tears of joy. For I am a 20-year-old young woman living in the 21st century and there is finally someone in office that is a woman. In third grade, my teacher had a poster of all the presidents and I would often study it and wonder why they were all men and looked the same. 12 years later, we are one step closer to changing that narrative. I know that little girls all around America looked up to Kamala Harris and dreamed. I hope they continue dreaming and dream bigger.

In the words of the Pope, I hope we as Americans, dream together for an America that is united and fair and just and good. I dream that we put an end to racial inequality and domestic terrorism. I dream that we can face the problems in our nation that desperately need repairing. I dream for America. I dream for my family and friends. I dream for me.

Today, I can dream and hope for a united and better America.