Submitted by Don Hermann, Greenwich
Some have thought of him as Uncle Joe. It’s endearing, but it’s not who he really is. Grandpa Joe, to me is a more protective kind of guy. Someone who has lived life, and who sees a big picture. He’s not driven to have to prove himself.
I’m older than Joe, 87. And like him, I have my marbles. I have recently gone into a new business. When I get up in the morning my mind is racing with creative ideas. My background is advertising. I’m doing a number of things but my real focus is to work on overcoming Hate.
What does this have to do with Grandpa Joe? My experience is that as you get older, your outlook changes. I believe it’s easier to forgive and forget, by keeping your eye on the ball. I believe when Joe gets up in the morning, his focus is to think about helping people. Not to see how he can screw the eyeballs out of those who disagree with him.
Furthermore when I think of Joe, I think of integrity, decency, genuineness, patience, humanness and an ability to work with people, by understanding their points-of-view. In most cases, it’s not my way or the highway. From the outset of his presidency, he surrounded himself, not with sycophants, but with some of the most capable people available for their particular position.
At the same time Grandpa Joe is human. But he does have flaws. In my humble opinion they’re being manifest right now. The fiasco in Afghanistan is an outrage. It’s not characteristic of the qualities mentioned above. Perhaps he didn’t have all the information he needed, but that aside there are things that should be done and
things that should not be done.
Why were we not better prepared for the speed at which the Taliban took over? Why were not detailed arrangements developed to assure all Americans and all our loyal Afghan friends safe passage out of the country? Why weren’t detailed plans made and discussed with all our allies whose people could be affected? In a way, it
sounds like something Trump would have done. America first and only. It seems as if Biden and the administration are backing off somewhat now. I hope we don’t find that we were intentionally misled. That would be a major disappointment.
In any event, my 87 years tells me that Grandpa Joe is not going to disappoint.
Don Hermann
Greenwich