Both Presidents Biden and Trump are giving old age a bad name. One is frequently befuddled while the other is increasingly cantankerous. It might be funny were it a certain 1993 Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon movie, but in real life it is just tragic.
Aside from the national and international consequences, both men harm the senior citizen brand. Mitch McConnell, Nancy Pelosi and others in Congress aren’t helping. The impression I get is that too many Senators and Congressmen of both parties are desperately clinging to power. I wish that instead, they would display statesmanship by moving into mentor mode and cultivating future leaders.
All this is taking the focus away from those older individuals who are living lives of meaning and value. If you are fortunate, there is an octogenarian or nonagenarian who enriches your life. Maybe even a centenarian. Despite common perception, there are people who, as their physical strength decreases, still retain sharp minds. Many of these have spent a lifetime working on their characters so that they have much wisdom to offer. Even those whose minds are failing provide an opportunity for younger people to treat them with respect and dignity.
I am not in favor of having a maximum age after which one cannot be an elected official. However, a candidate’s age is a perfectly reasonable question for each voter to have in mind when deciding whether or not to support someone. Nevertheless, it is a disservice and a sad situation when the most public figures that quadragenarians, quinquagenarians, and sexagenarians see (yes, those are real words), cause them to worry that growing older means staying around too long and becoming a pitiful sight.
P.S. I realize that some people think that President Biden is charming, sharp and with it, while others think that President Trump is the best candidate for 2024 and that he hasn’t changed since 2016. I do try to be personal and honest in my Musings and the above are my thoughts. I’m always open to polite disagreement.
What do you think? We’d love to hear your thoughts on this Susan’s Musings post.
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Are you looking for a hostess gift for Thanksgiving that is both meaningful and laugh-out-loud funny?
Look no further than The Skeptic and the Rabbi:
Falling in Love with Faith.
Author Judy Gruen, then a single Los Angeles feminist, traces her journey to faith after the most decent guy she’s ever met happens to be a student of Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who eventually officiated at the her marriage to that decent guy.
