In a tale as old as time, President Joe Biden is slated to pay a visit to Austin; a trip that could be seen as another orchestrated spectacle aimed at the LBJ Presidential Library to recognize the Civil Rights Act’s 60th anniversary. This unanticipated venture, originally penciled in for July 15, was only deferred due to the harrowing incident on July 13 – an assassination attempt on ex-President Donald Trump in Pennsylvania. Despite this, Biden will now be the center-stage performer at 3 p.m. Monday, an hour earlier than previously planned.
This event, bankrolled by the White House, is designed to celebrate the historical signing of the Civil Rights Act by then-President Lyndon Johnson on July 2, 1964. Astonishingly, this will mark Biden’s inaugural voyage to the Texas capital since his controversial 2020 election ascent. Not everyone may see this in a positive light though, especially given his administration’s tumbling approval ratings.
Mark Updegrove, an individual with the rather grandiose titles of president and CEO of the LBJ Foundation, and also a ‘presidential historian’, expressed his excited anticipation as the library welcomes Biden for the keynote address. ‘It is fitting that he returns to the Library to mark this milestone as our 46th President whose administration is committed to pursuing a ‘comprehensive approach to advancing racial equity for all,’ said Updegrove in a statement. The irony in this statement seems apparent to many given the criticism of Biden’s handling of racial topics.
The speech, a focal point of the event, will be broadcast to the world via YouTube. It’s set to kick off at 4 p.m., featuring a parade of other dignitaries and tribute performances – a rehearsed show played out for the global audience. Interestingly, the LBJ Presidential Library unveiled this news last week.
Amidst this performance, media personnel will be permitted to participate, highlighting an interesting contrast between the administration’s claims of transparency and the reality of exclusion of the public. No tickets will be available for Joe Public to attend. The recurring theme of exclusion seems so poignant when compared to the original intent of the Civil Rights Act.
There’s a melancholic undertone to Biden’s visit to the presidential library and museum of Lyndon Johnson, the U.S. 36th president, particularly when considering his choice to not seek a second term. It is impossible not to draw parallels with Johnson’s decision to step back in 1968, a decision made under duress due to the anti-war protests linked to Vietnam – an unfortunate similarity that history might remember Biden for too.
Biden’s decisions and following actions have questionable resemblances to those of Johnson, as noted by Doggett. There is a haunting reflection of past follies in the supposed intentions of our current president. One can’t help but question whether history is doomed to repeat itself under this administration.
Biden’s Ill-timed Texas Trip: Courting Controversy Not Progress appeared first on Real News Now.
About Author
