A Good Name for President-elect Biden
By C. Naseer Ahmad
Washington, DC
They say, “a picture is worth a thousand words.” In revived respect for science, the lyrics of John Denver’s song dedicated to explorer Jacques Cousteau’s ship “ Calypso ” come to mind from the spontaneous celebrations that broke out in the streets of many cities in US and around the world after Joe Biden’s victory in the 2020 presidential elections.
Dr Rajwant Singh , a Sikh leader in the Washington area, and his wife were seen dancing bhangra style to the tune of Punjabi music amongst many in the Black Lives Matter Plaza. The joy seems to be quite widespread.
“To sail on a dream on a crystal clear ocean, to ride on the crest of the wild raging storm.
To work in the service of life and the living, in search of the answers to questions unknown.
To be part of the movement and part of the growing, part of beginning to understand.
Aye, Calypso, the places you've been to,
the things that you've shown us, the stories you tell.
Aye, Calypso, I sing to your spirit, the men who have served you so long and so well.”
The evocative speech of President-elect Joseph Biden from Wilmington on Saturday November 7, 2020 vindicated the desire of the majority of Americans for both competency and decency.
Through my lifelong friends Pakistan Senator Mushahid Hussain and his brother Mowahid Shah , I first met then Senator Joe Biden on the 3 rd floor of the Marvin Center, George Washington University in 1974 when we were all graduate students.
“Wonderful reminiscences you reawakened; Chaudhry sb. Biden was the first lawmaker I had met on the Hill. We struck an instant rapport. Then, the youngest Senator he had lost his wife and daughter in a horrific car crash. In one of my several interactions, during my early days in America, I had told him in the presence of Mushahid that one day he would be President,” wrote Mowahid. In fact, I was in the room when Mowahid said that and I also heard how then Senator Biden humored it.
The motorcade bringing President-elect Biden on Saturday brought alive the memory of the afternoon of August 2, 1969 in Lahore, Pakistan of some scenes after lunch with Justice Hamood ur Rehman’s son, one of my school buddies since 1964. Soon after leaving the house I saw the presidential motorcade of President Richard Nixon, who was a popular figure in Pakistan, leaving for the airport. It was very nice to see a smiling Nixon waving to the crowd on the Mall Road near the bridge on the canal nearby. But what was surprising to see was secret servicemen mounted on President Nixon’s car brandishing machine guns in a friendly foreign country because Lahore was peaceful unlike Saigon in war-torn Vietnam.
On August 8, 1974, the world witnessed the downfall but still dignified exit of Nixon - waving from the helicopter on the White House Lawn. A few months later, Mowahid, Mushahid and I were among many foreign students invited by President Gerald Ford in the Rose Garden for some precious memories. Such an honorable and decent man President Ford was.
In reaction to President-elect Biden’s victory, Dr Zaheer Bajwa wrote: “Watching television, I developed liking for Biden …I had a good handshake and about five minutes chit chat with him during book signing on that day at the National Press Club Ballroom luncheon on September 7, 2006 - an event related to then Senator Biden’s aspirations for becoming president.” Another attendee wrote: “I admit I like Joe Biden’s brains and his style,” after the luncheon about then Senator Biden.
From a philosophical point of view, one can think of life as a ship that takes one to many ports before reaching its destination. Along this journey as a writer, one gets to meet interesting artists, athletes, diplomats, generals, movie makers and world leaders; many before their rise, a few while they are at the summit, some after their fall or during their twilight hours. However, the people who earn respect are genuine inside out.
A year earlier in July 2005, in the same National Press Club Ballroom, former Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, while on a state visit to the US, answered some questions from the audience thereby revealing some of his inner strengths and being a genuine person of integrity. When asked by whether he supported the ill-fated Iraq War, his reply was that he thought it was morally wrong. Secondly, after the anti-Muslim hysteria after 9/11, someone asked him about his fears for “Islamic terrorism” in India, Manmohan Singh simply said: “I am proud of the 100 million Muslim citizens of my country.”
For the last many days, the world is witnessing the ugly reaction of the losing presidential candidate in the recent election. On the evening of February 11, 2014 for the 20 th Anniversary of establishment of ties between Vietnam and US , attendees met Secretary of State John Kerry and the late Senator John McCain, two war heroes who served honorably not only in Vietnam but after the disappointing loss in presidential elections. For Senator McCain to seek me out and spend half an hour with me alone, when they were several US senators, high ranking military officers and diplomats present in the room, spoke volumes about his decency and moving on with life.
Since children are also watching, it is important to point out some remarks towards the end of President-elect Biden’s speech when he talked about his grandfather’s words of wisdom about “keeping faith” and his grandmother doubling down on that advice by “spreading faith.” In a striking contrast, neither in the last four years or before has the world’s children heard anything inspiring, that he might have learned from elders, from the incumbent president.
For most people around the world, who are fortunate to have met their grandparents there are only loving memories. In my case, what I learned from my grandfather was to “never stop learning” and from my grandmother to “get some skills.”
Houses of worship and people of faith try hard to promote civility and soul searching. On the night after President-elect Biden’s speech, I drove to Vienna to check on my grandson Raheem who was a bit under the weather. On my way, I learned something new again by just paying attention to the sign at the Oakton Methodist Church: “A good name implies integrity, honesty and responsibility. It is earned, not bought.” Don’t Biden and Raheem sound like good names?
