At inaugural, Biden hit right tone with call to work together for common good: Reader views

President Joe Biden's inaugural address struck just the right tone. It's what our nation needed to hear. We face significant issues in the months and years ahead, but if we can work for the common good, as he stated, there is little we can't achieve together. It will require hard work, but it is a new day in America, and together we can reach new heights in combating the pandemic, reducing inequality and unifying our country.

One of the primary things that I will most remember from the events leading up Inauguration Day and from his address is the time he devoted for reflection for the more than 400,000 Americans we have lost to COVID-19. Empathy has been in short supply in recent years. His reflection combined with proactive measures to help us combat the pandemic are exactly what is needed during these challenging times.

— Steven M. Clayton; Ocean, N.J.

More reader views: Applause for 10 Republicans who stood up to Trump

I laughed out loud reading the Jan. 21 article describing how Republicans appreciate President Joe Biden’s call for unity during his inaugural address. Newly elected Republican Senator from Tennessee Bill Hagerty is quoted saying “Our nation would benefit from a deliberate effort at unity.” It was also noted that Hagerty was “not among those who challenged Biden’s election.”

What Tennessee voters know, however, is that Hagerty based his campaign on promoting Trump’s divisive agenda. Hagerty avoided wearing masks at campaign events and eagerly shook hands with crowds of supporters, essentially denying the danger of COVID-19 and setting a bad example.

Hagerty eagerly fell in with the many Republicans who made no effort to correct the lie that the election was “stolen,” an action that actually would have engendered unity.

Hagerty entered the Senate chamber on Jan. 6 fully intending to challenge Biden’s election and only changed his vote after the insurrection.

Hagerty is by no means as honorable or as reasonable as that article implied.

— Joyce Quirk; Nashville

In one of the most tumultuous times in modern America, a long-awaited moment has finally happened. On Wednesday, the 46th president took the oath of office along with the vice president, Kamala Harris, who is the first female to hold the position and is a woman of color.

The world is looking to President Joe Biden and Vice President Harris, who is of mixed Indian and Jamaican heritage, to unite and heal a deeply divided and polarized nation. We are tormented by a raging pandemic, spiraling unemployment and economic malaise.

This is a formidable challenge, but certainly not impossible. Biden and Harris have the required experience, integrity, commitment, empathy and compassion not only to lead America but also to steer it back to its original glory and position as a global leader. I would like to quote former President Barack Obama who concluded his farewell address in January 2017 with this historic message: “Yes, we did. Yes, we can.” This hope is what America is all about!

Good luck team Biden-Harris!

— Atul M. Karnik; Woodside, N.Y.

More reader views: Wednesday's riot is the shameful presidential legacy of an unstable man

Former Vice President Mike Pence's decisions to wish Vice President Kamala Harris well with a phone call, to meet and greet the National Guard members protecting our Capitol in advance of the inauguration and to attend the Biden-Harris inauguration helped smooth an otherwise rough transition of presidential power.

Maybe there is a sense of redemption at play in those decisions.

History will judge Pence based on the entirety of President Donald Trump’s term, but arguably in a kinder light due to his recent actions, which feel like a change of heart.

Democrats and others will rightly point to Pence's blind allegiance to Trump on so many issues over the span of four years, and his prolonged embrace of the fallacy of a fraudulent 2020 presidential election.

However, despite likely ulterior motives and positioning for a 2024 presidential run, Pence made a decision to uphold his constitutional responsibility to certify the electoral count despite pressure by Trump and his most extremist supporters to do the opposite, and that proved pivotal.

Whatever the reasons or motivations, Pence deserves our gratitude and history’s grace, especially if one ponders what might have been had he decided to act differently.

— Michael Peterson; Hillsboro, Oregon

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: At inaugural, Biden hit right tone with call to work together: Reader views