Thread: Biden Board: Oblivion / Ship of Fools.


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Posted by Turtletoes2 (# 18416) on :
 
I'm a Yank as the Brits. refer to American U.S.'ers .
I'm heart broken over the loss of
Beau Biden, V.P.Joes son. I knew little about Beau but understand he was a pretty great guy.

Joe Biden {Beaus Dad} captured my interest thru the years. I learned of his family background early on as well as his loss.

Actually much of what he has done while a Senator is not known. and the press continues to highlight the "Joe bombs" {dumb stuff he's said and salty language} and profile him as the"crazy uncle" rather than putting forth his actions and what he has accomplished. There is so much.. Just a couple of examples:

His handling of Kosovo war and tense meeting with Serbian leader Slobodan Milošević. {he told Milošević, "I think you're a damn war criminal and you should be tried as one.""} He brought his strengths to help end that conflict.
While others were wringing their hands saying nothing was being done about the problems in Iraq Biden had done a lot. He was an advocate for dividing Iraq into a loose federation of three ethnic states. and had written a paper about it pointing out a strategy to accomplish this.
As I said, just a few.
God Bless Joe, so very,very sorry about the loss of his fine son Beau.
 

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Posted by Ariel (# 58) on :
 
Welcome to the boards, Turtletoes2! Don't take this personally, but I'm going to move your thread to the All Saints board, which is where this sort of thing normally goes. You'll probably get more responses there, as we tend to keep the Heaven board for lighthearted stuff. Have a look at the forum guidelines (at the top of each board) as the rules are a bit different for each board.

There's also a Welcome thread there in case you wanted to introduce yourself - it's not compulsory but people will be pleased to welcome you aboard if you decide to post there.

All the best and happy sailing,

Ariel
Heaven Host
 

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Posted by saysay (# 6645) on :
 


I'm not sure many people outside of Delaware or political junkies knew who he was, but he was a good man. I think he could have become a great leader.

Being taken from us so young feels like one of G-d's cruel tricks.

(I'm tired of ineffable plans. I want hugs from people I can trust.)
 

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Posted by Og, King of Bashan (# 9562) on :
 
I think because the Vice-Presidency is such an odd job (you rarely get tied votes in the Senate and the President rarely dies), we don't know what to do with whoever holds the office, and thus they become famous for one thing that you can make fun of for. Quayle was stupid, Gore was boring (I don't know how you grow up in Tennessee and learn to speak in a monotone, but he did it), Cheney was Darth Vader, and Joe is the unpredictable crazy uncle.

I can't imagine losing one child too young and then having to deal with it again many years down the line.
 

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Posted by saysay (# 6645) on :
 
He’s actually weirdly predictable if you know him. It’s just that the media loves their narratives. And he does have a habit of shooting his mouth of when he knows he should keep it shut.

Classic Biden/Delaware moment:

At the viewing. Very long line snaking in hot, unairconditioned gym. Making small talk with people around me as one does. Wondering why the line is moving so slowly, because how long does it take to walk across a church and kiss a dead body? Waiting, waiting, waiting. Wearing a sundress that has the unfortunate habit of slipping down to reveal my bra (as most of my dresses do). Keep pulling it back up.

Finally make it back outside to fresh air. Hooray! Event organizer/Stage hand cuts line off a couple people after me. Tells everyone in line to follow him. One group does, but it takes several more tries to get the rest of the line out of the gym and under a tent with picnic tables. Stage hand says something about how they probably should have done that hours ago instead of having people risking heat exhaustion. I say 'that would have been nice'. Girl in black dress with earpiece tells him not to say that that loudly in case someone decides to hold them responsible. Some man in black brings me bottled water.

Line keeps moving. First group from under the tent joins the line again. Sisters are discussing whether or not the tent and the picnic tables were set up when they arrived. I chime in, telling them what I overheard event organizer say and my response. She adds her variation of ‘oh, yeah, you couldn’t have done that before my feet started killing me and I almost passed out?’ I ask her if she’s Carrie (from high school); tell her I’m Sara. Nice to see you agains, etc.

Finally make it into the church. Realize the line is moving so slowly because it’s actually a closed casket with a long receiving line. Waiting, waiting, waiting. Get halfway up the church aisle and someone is walking down the aisle checking in with people. I hear her say ‘oh, I’m just the sister.’ The woman in front of me and I both say, ‘oh, you’re Val.’

Val starts to make her way past us but turns around and looks at me. ‘Are you chilly?’

‘No,’ I say. This is a lie. I’m obviously rubbing my arms in the manner of a person who is chilly.

She turns away but turns back. ‘Are you sure?’

‘I’m fine,’ I say. ‘It was a little hot outside and it’s a little chilly in here, but I’m good.’

Val unwraps shawl from self and gives it to me. ‘Here, take my shawl.’

‘No, I can’t take your shawl. Then you'll be - '

She insists. ‘No, it’ll be fine, trust me. Just give it back to me when you leave so I don’t have to hunt you down.’

I give an involuntary exasperated sigh. ‘Oh, all right, thank you,’ I say. Put shawl on. Look at Carrie who says ‘that’s perfect’. Realize how many people are looking at me and try to will myself into invisibility. More waiting. Wonder who all the people in the pews are. Family? Staffers? Security? People are doing their usual dance in terms of trying to figure out what kind of physical contact is expected and/or acceptable with the people in the receiving line.

Man in black gives me permission to approach Joe. I shake his hand, then do the black-man-pulling-another-man-into-a-hug handshake reversal and pull. Biden thinks I’m pulling him down so I can kiss his cheek and offers me his cheek. I kiss it. We return to standing across from each other, looking at each other, and not touching. I’m at a loss for words because what do you say to someone who has just lost a child.

‘And you are?’

‘Sara,’

‘What a face,’ he says as he puts his hands under my chin and tilts my face up to him. I look him in the eye and try to give him a smile but it’s hard because I feel like crying, not smiling.

‘Oh my God,’ he says and gives me a bear hug and a kiss on the cheek. He takes my hands and literally hands me off to Hunter, telling him 'this is Sara.' Hunter takes both my hands in his and says 'Hi, Sara.'

‘I’m so sorry for your loss,’ I say all teary-eyed. He gives me a bear hug and thanks me for showing my support. I turn from him to Ashley, who has gotten tired and is sitting in the front pew.

‘I’m so sorry for you loss,’ I say.

‘Thank you,’ she says.

‘And I’m also sorry for the nineteen hours you’ve probably spent saying thank you to people.’

‘Oh, no,’ she says, touching my hands. The outpouring of love and support we’ve gotten has just been... thank you, thank you.’

I make my way back to where Val is sitting in a pew, hand her the shawl, and tell her I’m sorry for her loss.

That's the kind of thing that will never break in to the media narrative because the media aren't there to film it.
 

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Posted by RuthW (# 13) on :
 


Thanks for sharing that, saysay.
 

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Posted by VirginiaKneeling (# 18414) on :
 
I like Joe. Always have, from the beginning. This hit me hard, but for another reason. Many years ago, I buried a son. Had he lived, my Benjamin would have been close to Beau's age. So this hit home.
 

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Posted by Amazing Grace (# 95) on :
 

quote:

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Originally posted by saysay:


I'm not sure many people outside of Delaware or political junkies knew who he was, but he was a good man. I think he could have become a great leader.

Being taken from us so young feels like one of G-d's cruel tricks.

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