Biden pays tributes to Martin Luther king, COVID-19 victims

U.S. President Joe Biden on Tuesday honoured the memories of Dr Martin Luther King, Jr., late American Presidents and COVID-19 victims as well as those who contributed to the freedom of the country.

Biden, in his message to celebrate the 245th Independence Day anniversary with military families at the White House, also remembered the contributions of Thomas Jefferson, whose words, he said about liberty and equality literally changed the world.

“And across the Tidal Basin from the Jefferson Memorial, there stands Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. — his arms crossed, his eyes fixed ahead toward the promised land where equality is not only an aspiration, but a reality,’’ he said.

“The U.S. leader said 245 years, we declared our independence from a distant king but today, we’re closer than ever to declaring our independence from a deadly virus.

“That’s not to say the battle against COVID-19 is over. We’ve got a lot more work to do.

“But just as our Declaration in 1776 was not a call to action — was a call to action, not a reason for complacency or a claim of victory — it was a call to action — the same is true today.

“Back then, we had the power of an idea on our side. Today, we have the power of science.

“Thanks to our heroic vaccine effort, we’ve gained the upper hand against this virus; we can live our lives, our kids can go back to school, our economy is roaring back.

“Don’t get me wrong, COVID-19 is — has not been vanquished. We all know powerful variants have emerged, like the Delta variant, but the best defense against these variants is to get vaccinated,’’ he said.

Biden, however, urged those who have not been vaccinated to do so, saying, “if you haven’t gotten vaccinated, do it — do it now for yourself, for your loved ones, for your community, and for your country”.