"This Is America."
Seventeen Americans were honored Thursday at the White House
with Medals of Freedom. The honorees included civil rights attorney Fred
Gray, women's U.S. soccer player and World Cup winner Megan Rapinoe (who declined the previous administration's offer to visit the White House), Steve Jobs and
John McCain (both posthumously), and Olympic gold medalist Simone
Biles.
It’s a huge honor; I’m excited to be here”, said Biles. “I
put in so many years of hard work and being recognized by the president is so
special”, Biles said to reporters after the ceremony.
A preschool teacher, awe struck after seeing Biles and fiance Jonathan Owens as she
was leaving the White House, couldn’t believe her eyes. She told us that Biles
is an inspiration for all girls, from pre-K to twelfth grade.
“I watch her every time they’re in the Olympics”, she said.
The main draw on the afternoon (perhaps), actor and producer Denzel Washington, was absent from the ceremony (to the disappointment of many) due to a positive COVID-19 test.
Said Secretary of Health and Human Services, Xavier Becerra,
“you know that COVID is real when you miss your own ceremony [because of it]", suggesting
that we should all still take COVID seriously.
Becerra mentioned that he, too, has had COVID even after being vaxed and
twice boosted.
“Listen, I’m double-boosted and I got COVID twice”, said
Becerra. “I’ve probably had every variant there is.”
New York nurse Sandra Lindsey was also among those honored
Thursday. Lindsey made news for being the first person in the U.S. to take the COVID-19
vaccine. She is being honored for “becoming a shining example of exemplary
civic service.”
After all the recipients were honored, the president
remarked, “This is America”, a nod to the nation’s diverse class of honorees in
equally diverse life missions and industries.
Attendees in the crowd included former U.S. Senator (D-CT) Joe Liberman, Liz Cheney, civil rights attorney Ben Crump, the president’s son, Bo Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and Second Gentleman Doug Emhoff.
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