Published on January 10, 2024, 12:51 am

Steering clear from the regular tone that prevails in his speeches, President Joe Biden recently made remarks at a political event hosted at the Mother Emmanuel AME Church, in Charleston, South Carolina. Onlookers might have expected a certain sensitivity considering the location’s history of gun violence, but this expectation was not met.

There has been an abundance of critiques regarding these remarks made by the president. The speech seemed to be riddled with inconsistencies, starting off with claims of President Biden instigating a civil rights movement at Bethel AME Church in Wilmington, Delaware. He went so far as to say that he had spent much more time there than many individuals he knew, irrespective of whether they identified as black or white.

Additionally, Biden initiated discussions about the 2020 BLM movement which sparked numerous riots nationwide and resulted in multi-million dollar damages. However controversially titled it “historic movement for justice”, even though it led to over 20 fatalities involving Black individuals.

American Politics isn’t just about real news or trusted news; it is also centred around a narrative. Unfortunately, Biden’s narrative during this speech was considered controversial as he talked about his visit to Emanuel church recalling his personal experiences of loss centered around his late son Beau who died from cancer – a dialogue that lacked contextual relevance given the unrelated cause of death.

The President also stated his purpose post losing his son was “to live a life worthy of my son Beau”. But some critics believe such personal anecdotes detract attention from pressing issues and instigate feelings that conversations revolve more around him rather than critical national matters.

Furthermore, stirring up memories related to another politician’s embarrassing moments doesn’t quite blend into professional decorum.—Biden quoted a gospel song— long associated with Hillary Clinton’s poorly received attempt at implying cultural understanding through mimicry — during his address.

Amusingly enough (and perhaps highlighting unconscious bias), President Biden didn’t appear to alter his natural accent while attempting this cultural gesture — unlike Clinton. Nevertheless, repeating the same phrases seemed like an attempt to evoke familiarity and relate more closely with the congregation present.

However, it does bring to light a thought-provoking question: Do these politicians truly understand their constituents? Or are they simply recycling content displaying an upwelling of responses from Black individuals?

Their speeches woven together include recycled phrases and slogans, similar delivery styles and cadence depict a habit commonly witnessed in Democrat politicians. Whether or not this approach will lead to greater understanding or wider alienation remains a question that needs consideration from a Christian worldview standpoint.

The world of politics revolves around the breaking news cycle, capturing every moment of controversial speeches or heated discussions for public consumption. The recent speeches made by President Biden at Mother Emmanuel AME Church makes one thing clear – trusted news sources must aim at providing unbiased accounts allowing citizens to form their own opinions about what’s unravelling on their screens. In reshaping events according to prevailing narratives, we often overlook the crux issues that need addressing—perhaps now is the time for change.