By Donald A. Collins | 19 November 2022
Church and State
It is so easy to categorize people by age, particularly at over 80, as likely to be or soon to become incapable of doing major jobs such as President of the US.
83-year-old Colbert King’s 11/19 Washington Post column implies effectiveness at old age can’t easily be defined! And many are fully alive and effective.
A few of his comments:
What we might rally to fight is hard to tell, having already lost the battle against old age.
That said, “old geezer” stereotyping awaits you, but don’t let it get you down. Millions of us, you will find, aren’t living out our lives in retirement villages dotting the Sun Belt. Or in nursing homes dutifully waiting for the Good Lord to call us home.
For sure, Mr. President, there are those among us who have more than their share of disease and infirmity. But look around and you will see huge numbers of women and men in their 80s who are out and about, leading independent, active lives. And many of us are also enjoying more satisfaction than what life yielded during our 30s, 40s and 50s. Perhaps it’s because we are long past the days of worrying about climbing the next rung on the ladder.
Octogenarians, pure and simple, aren’t looking for something bigger and better. I suspect this is pretty much where you also find yourself after nearly two years into your presidency. You are at the top of your pay scale.
Read his whole enlightening piece here.
"Dear Mr. President: Allow me to welcome you into the ranks of America’s octogenarians, which you will officially join Sunday," @KingC_I writes https://t.co/YyDYvhy3PE
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) November 19, 2022
And another 11/19/22 WP column by Henry Olsen, a Republican, cites Biden’s handling of the Ukraine war as evidence of his competence.
Read that piece here.
Biden understood from the start of the conflict in Ukraine that our European allies in NATO viewed Russian designs very differently, @HenryOlsenEPPC writes. https://t.co/RuNUMHkVPR
— Washington Post Opinions (@PostOpinions) November 19, 2022
Many more examples could be mentioned such as of his skill in getting things done in a sharply divided Congress.
Should Biden run in 2024 as many think he shouldn’t?
I am healthy and as such very lucky and almost 92.
At such altitude I am constantly finding myself thinking about any signs of waning and so far, not finding anything so disabling that I see ending my main daily activities.
These include daily support of my 97-year-old wife who retains her equilibrium, sense of humor and a warm affection for all about her. Especially me!
Writing a daily column for this powerful website keeps me plugged into world affairs.
Exercise and moderate diet and again having remarkable good luck make my life’s tenure uncertain.
However, managing as I do to feel happy about our lives is a rare state at any age!
Biden will decide on 2024 and he may change his present indicative he will run.
Clearly if he projects his same present competence in 2024, he will win in a landslide over the disgraced Trump, but the GOP will have a non-Trump candidate by then.
As was true of 82-year-old Speaker Pelosi, recognizing the right time to retire is not easy. Hope Biden will make the right choice, but I refuse to judge now what that choice should be.
Former US Navy officer, banker and venture capitalist, Donald A. Collins, a free lance writer living in Washington, DC, has spent over 50 years working for women’s reproductive health as a board member and/or officer of numerous family planning organizations including Planned Parenthood Federation of America, Guttmacher Institute, Family Health International and Ipas. Yale under graduate, NYU MBA. He is the author of “From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013”, “Trump Becoming Macbeth: Will our democracy survive?”, “We Humans Overwhelm Our Earth: 11 or 2 Billion by 2100?”, “What Can Be Done Now to Save Habitable Life on Planet Earth?”, “Vote”, “Can Homo Sapiens Survive?” and “Will Choice and Democracy Win?”.“What Can Be Done Now to Save Habitable Life on Planet Earth?”: https://t.co/fHuh0CG6JD
“We Humans Overwhelm Our Earth: 11 or 2 Billion by 2100?”: https://t.co/TA4j7cp1tE
“From the Dissident Left: A Collection of Essays 2004-2013”: https://t.co/lkC2t3E1A9 pic.twitter.com/bQsL2mLBcO— Church and State (@ChurchAndStateN) November 1, 2021
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