President Biden and Why I Am Angry

dementia

Does Joe Biden have dementia?

Sigh.

I don’t know. I am not his physician, and–as reminder–dementia is a medical thing and not a moral deficiency, a sign of stupidity, or a lack of effort.

But what I will say is that I am over people using the term dementia to insult him. Or to insult anyone.

Dementia, my friends, is not an insult. Dementia is caused by diseases of the brain.

It doesn’t matter if you love or hate Biden.

You wouldn’t insult someone by saying they had cancer or asthma. Why do we try to insult people by saying they have dementia?

I am not looking for a political battle here, and this isn’t a political post. This is about our society’s attitude toward dementia. We make fun of people with dementia in ways we would never make fun of people with other illnesses.

Think about it. If Biden had dropped out of the race because he had cancer, people would show more sensitivity. Even his political enemies (for the most part) would wish him well…whether they were sincere or not….because that’s what you do. It would be in bad taste to mock someone with cancer. But it’s apparently okay to mock someone with dementia.

When we do Dementia Friends trainings in our community and across our state, two people will come in together, and one will point at the other, say they are here because he/she has dementia, and laugh. They are making a joke. They are at a dementia training joking that someone has dementia. We roll with it and hope that the training will make them realize that this is a joke that isn’t funny to us.

I recently posted something on social media about dementia. In the comments, someone typed “Joe Biden” and put a laughing emoji. I guess I didn’t get the joke.

We poke and point and tease and say people have dementia. Ha ha ha.

We still have a long way to go in educating people about dementia and reducing the stigma.

7 thoughts on “President Biden and Why I Am Angry”

  1. In the 1990s I went to the movie Of Mice and Men in order to write a review for a college class. I was shocked, appalled, and saddened at how many times there was laughter in the theatre at totally inappropriate times. I believe it was because many people were so miserably uncomfortable with the feelings evoked by the movie that they expressed it with the limited emotional language they had – laughter. I choose to believe the same with their response to dementia.

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  2. I’m angry too. But for another reason. I’m angry that Joe Biden’s FAMILY didn’t help to remove him from the circumstances, the situation. I watched my father go thru the last 5 years of his life with dementia. My family NEVER would have put my dad in a position like that. To be in the biggest stage of your life, all of the responsibilities of being president. That to me is the biggest disgrace. And I agree with you that dementia is NOTHING to make fun of. But the fact that our president’s own family kept saying he was sharp & on the top of his game was completely shameful. If the people who supposedly loved him didn’t admit that he was struggling with this awful disease why would anyone else feel compassion? I did have feelings of sadness watching him struggle. And I don’t think you should make fun of anyone, but it starts with those surrounding that person, right? Help them. Care for them in a loving and dignified way. It was shameful and still is. He is still our President! On the biggest stage of his life, and still under the pressures of trying to be PRESIDENT. It’s not fair to him and it’s not fair to the country. I’m also not meaning this to be political. I don’t care which side of political spectrum you are (not you personally), it’s shameful & dangerous to have him exposing our country because of his condition. It is different from many other diseases though because it affects your brain & how you remember. How you react or don’t react. And Obviously you know that.
    I do totally understand your point though. No one should be making fun of anyone with dementia! Such a devastating disease.
    God bless you for your writing. Your experiences and knowledge got me thru many sad and dark days with my dad.

    Much love,

    Judy

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  3. Hi Elaine – I love this column and want to share on my FB page. However, I was wondering if the word NOT is missing in this sentence in the 4th paragraph from end of blog.

    this is NOT a joke

    >

    Liked by 1 person

    1. Hmmm…I am meaning that they are intending it as a joke when they do this, so a word isn’t left out. But might rework it if doesn’t make sense to people. 🙂

      Thanks for the compliment!

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  4. Very well said. Dementia/Alzheimer’s is no laughing matter.

    Sent from my iPhone

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    1. A much needed response to a hurtful and unkind practice. Thank you for speaking up. Dementia is no joking matter and certainly should not be used as an insult.

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