I will be completely frank and say that I think the public inauguration is pure arrogance and foolishness.
If Biden and the other Democratic people attending die there, then he’s essentially thrown EVERYTHING that Democratic voters fought so hard to get him into power away for NOTHING.
Macho posturing for the sake of "tradition" and "proving you won't be cowed by terrorists" is not a demonstration of strength in the face of terrorism. This is NOT a normal time. These insurrectionists aren't just a small angry mob that we can just brush under the table and have things go back to normal. They’re EVERYWHERE in the government, in society, and THEY. ARE. DANGEROUS.
Stupid, yes. BUT DANGEROUS.
The Military, Secret Service, the National Guard… every aspect should be treated as compromised, and putting your faith in them right now is STUPID, especially since under 2 weeks is nowhere near long enough to find every single conspiracy addled nutjob and terrorist Trumper.
Is needing to prove “we ain’t no chicken” so fucking important as to risk EVERYTHING? Is fucking PRIDE going to be our downfall the same way it was for Trump?
Call me a coward, call me frightened and paranoid, claim that I'm doing exactly what the terrorists want by wanting to not have a public inauguration, and that it’s not the “AMERICAN WAY” to be fearful of terrorists, but I'd rather have a safe president and vice president with little fanfare who ultimately moves the nation towards a better future through his actions, than a big grand macho display of "strength" for the sake of "tradition" that has me and likely so many others on perpetual anxiety for the entire inauguration day.
I don’t want to feel scared. I don’t want to be anxious and fearful about this. I HOPE to God nothing happens. But this kind of callous recklessness in light of the true extent of the Trump Madness infesting our country frightens and angers me. If Biden is trying to sell the feeling of safety after 4 years of anguish, fury, and terror, this to me is the ABSOLUTE wrong way to do it.
EDIT: I should emphasize that I HOPE things will turn out alright, that it will be a relatively mundane inauguration and that my fears will be unfounded.
