Why Jimmy Carter's Health Commands Our Attention
Since the stock market turned up yesterday, accompanied by all the Wall Street pundits telling us it's bottomed and urging us to buy, we can take a breather and turn a completely unrelated topic: Jimmy Carter's health.
The details of former President Jimmy Carter's health commanded a fair amount of media attention in the days prior to the market tumbling in earnest. Latest reports tell us he announced his cancer has reached various parts of his body now, and that includes melanoma in his brain. He'll be treated for it.
Without trying to be cruel, or even uncaring, let's ask ourselves why this matters to the vast majority of us. After asking myself, this question drew a big question mark (?). Not that I wish the man anything but the best, of course. In fact, as opposed to most conservative acquaintances of mine, I'm not even so sure that Mr. Carter was the worst President in the history of the Republic, as seems to be the accepted assessment of his mere four years at the helm in the 1970s.
(Frankly, this assessment of Carter usually boils down to an assertion no more substantive than that some person or persons thinks Carter was the worst, at least the worst they've ever witnessed, at least in their lifetimes. Of course, as you should know, whether conservative, liberal, or anything in between, too many of us, having received sub-par educations during our formative years, really have no idea of history from either a thematic or factual perspective. So how anyone can claim their assessment of Carter to be anything more than a subjective opinion, supported by a few anecdotal bits of "evidence" is beyond me.)
My point here would be more generic: Why should we really care all that much about former Presidents, as opposed to any other category of person with whom we've become familiar in our lives? For example, on or about June 25th of this year, it was reported that the great Russian baritone, Dimitri Hvorostovsky has a brain tumor. He promptly cancelled all his engagements to undergo treatement. If one appreciates opera, and has heard this gentlemen sing on the live stage, such an announcement might have a greater personal impact than that of Carter's. In fact, comparing the experience of hearing Hvorostovky sing vs. reading or hearing the words of Carter, whether as President or former President, Hvorosovsky's voice wins hands down - at least from this opera lover's perspective.
As for president's, "ex" or not, they garner far too much of our attention. How many times does a news report begin with, "President ___" announced today that...". And how often is this newsworthy item or any real consequence in the greater scheme of things. Okay, maybe something like the Iran deal that's supposedly going to be supported by the Senate should catch your eye or ear. But, really, does every comment or decision by the President need to be reported on a daily basis?
Think back on past President's in your lifetime. Can you think of more than one or two items they had anything to do with that effected your life in some significant way? We all likely remember Carter's trying to free the American hostages held by Iran - and failing. Maybe some of us remember that the economy was in the doldrums and that inflation spiked to the highest levels in memory. But was that due to Carter? And now that he's an "Ex," can you think of anything of any great significance he's done that directly affects your life. Maybe something to do with his activities related to peace in the Middle East or some other place in the world - maybe. But, really, aren't there any number of people you touch in some way each day that have a much more significant impact on your life - starting with your family?
So again, nothing against Jimmy Carter. I wish him well.
The details of former President Jimmy Carter's health commanded a fair amount of media attention in the days prior to the market tumbling in earnest. Latest reports tell us he announced his cancer has reached various parts of his body now, and that includes melanoma in his brain. He'll be treated for it.
Without trying to be cruel, or even uncaring, let's ask ourselves why this matters to the vast majority of us. After asking myself, this question drew a big question mark (?). Not that I wish the man anything but the best, of course. In fact, as opposed to most conservative acquaintances of mine, I'm not even so sure that Mr. Carter was the worst President in the history of the Republic, as seems to be the accepted assessment of his mere four years at the helm in the 1970s.
(Frankly, this assessment of Carter usually boils down to an assertion no more substantive than that some person or persons thinks Carter was the worst, at least the worst they've ever witnessed, at least in their lifetimes. Of course, as you should know, whether conservative, liberal, or anything in between, too many of us, having received sub-par educations during our formative years, really have no idea of history from either a thematic or factual perspective. So how anyone can claim their assessment of Carter to be anything more than a subjective opinion, supported by a few anecdotal bits of "evidence" is beyond me.)
My point here would be more generic: Why should we really care all that much about former Presidents, as opposed to any other category of person with whom we've become familiar in our lives? For example, on or about June 25th of this year, it was reported that the great Russian baritone, Dimitri Hvorostovsky has a brain tumor. He promptly cancelled all his engagements to undergo treatement. If one appreciates opera, and has heard this gentlemen sing on the live stage, such an announcement might have a greater personal impact than that of Carter's. In fact, comparing the experience of hearing Hvorostovky sing vs. reading or hearing the words of Carter, whether as President or former President, Hvorosovsky's voice wins hands down - at least from this opera lover's perspective.
As for president's, "ex" or not, they garner far too much of our attention. How many times does a news report begin with, "President ___" announced today that...". And how often is this newsworthy item or any real consequence in the greater scheme of things. Okay, maybe something like the Iran deal that's supposedly going to be supported by the Senate should catch your eye or ear. But, really, does every comment or decision by the President need to be reported on a daily basis?
Think back on past President's in your lifetime. Can you think of more than one or two items they had anything to do with that effected your life in some significant way? We all likely remember Carter's trying to free the American hostages held by Iran - and failing. Maybe some of us remember that the economy was in the doldrums and that inflation spiked to the highest levels in memory. But was that due to Carter? And now that he's an "Ex," can you think of anything of any great significance he's done that directly affects your life. Maybe something to do with his activities related to peace in the Middle East or some other place in the world - maybe. But, really, aren't there any number of people you touch in some way each day that have a much more significant impact on your life - starting with your family?
So again, nothing against Jimmy Carter. I wish him well.
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