Banding together with due respect
The way we treat our elders holds many complexities, and is a mirror to our society.
It’s been interesting, spending time this month helping my mom get settled after a health episode while watching the drama play out for the Democratic nomination for president.
The way we treat our elders holds many complexities, and is a mirror to our society.
The energy, excitement, and attention that has followed President Biden’s endorsement of our Vice President, Kamala Harris, bodes well for November. Young voters, Black women, and so many more feel encouraged and are ready to work. VP Harris is a worthy candidate, imperfect as all political leaders are, but smart, tough, and dedicated to the rule of law.
Stories about the successes of the Biden administration finally grabbed headlines, opinion pieces, and airtime. And there are a lot of successes: real wage growth within a growing economy, investment in climate action and infrastructure, solidifying relationships with allies, standing against Russian aggression.
I can’t help but wonder, though, why these stories - important, foundational information people need to inform their votes - were almost entirely masked by the headlines about Biden’s age and poor debate performance. I continue to ponder how it is that editorial boards shouted for him to step aside more loudly than they shouted about the other side’s lies, attacks, and plans to undermine democratic institutions and human rights. These are the truly disqualifying elements for a candidate.
Let’s band together behind the Vice President as she takes on this political fight with everything we have. And let’s make sure we never lose sight of the true value of our elders and their contributions, even when they might be slow to respond to shouting and bullying, even when they stubbornly insist they can do the jobs they’ve been doing for years.
We are in this together, and we have renewed hope.
