Biden-Harris victory breath of fresh air

Not only is it pleasing to see United States President-elect Joe Biden but also, and uniquely, Vice-President-elect Kamala Harris, a woman of colour.  The future looks rosy and colourful.

Life is balanced, with the great speech by Biden against the disturbing tweets of soon-to-be-ex-President Donald Trump. You cannot buy victory; neither can you sue yourself into the role. You must be given it by the people — a reality the loser, Trump, must accept before he skulks back to his golf course.

The complexities of this electoral system have caused concerns and some delay and it may be time to consider how to simplify it so that it means the people, all of them, can make the decision, and not a court.

It is time to look to the future and consign the few miles built of the “great, beautiful wall” to rubble as a symbol of the Trump presidency. The economy need to be rebuilt and Covid-19 knocked down. The education system need to be made strong, equitable, available to all and, preferably, truly free.

It is time President-elect Biden built a better, united country.

Dennis Fitzgerald, Australia

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Joe Biden has become the 46th US president, ending four years of a Donald Trump regime marked by policy instability and unpredictability that threatened domestic cohesiveness and international order as we know it.

Trump’s conduct may have been influenced by ignorance in the workings of government, having not served in an elective or appointive position before he won the presidency in 2016.

In contrast, Senator Biden is an experienced hand in government affairs. President Barack Obama’s VP is a known pragmatist who may not be interested in just radical changes but pursuing what works. This is likely to result in stability and predictability.

Mathani wa Kaboi, Kirinyaga

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America has provided opportunities to many who left their countries to escape violence, further their education, look for a job or other reasons and became equal to the other Americans.

Barack Obama Senior, a Kenyan, went to the US for studies and married an American. Their son Barack Obama would become the first black US President.

Kamala Harris, a woman of colour, has been elected the first woman Vice-President of the US.

Ilhan Omar, a former Somali refugee girl in Kenya’s Dadaab camp, was elected to the US Congress.

We need to emulate the United States and ensure that our countries are friendly to everyone, allowing them to pursue their dreams despite their ethnicity, religion or political affiliation.

 Elijah Kimathi, Meru