He was a strong progressive voice, and he will be greatly missed in his Tucson-based district. But it's unfortunate that so many folks stay in Congress beyond the age where they can be fully healthy & capable.
Cancer strikes at any age. This account has been hitting below the belt on this issue. Spiteful grievance has led discernment to go begging.
Age in politics is a concern.
A major insult to one’s health can come at any time.
Disability affects 1 in 4 US adults & serious illness strikes even more.
You’re gonna need to hire additional staff if you wanna keep up to date with the news on every congressional representative with cancer dying in office.
Oh. Bless 🙏🏾. Grew up with him as my Representative. He was a real one. Looked up to him as a leader, he stood on business. Remember seeing him round at city and schools events through the years. Rest in power and thank you. ✊🏾
Politician was never meant as a career. It was supposed to be people like farmers and shop owners and moms and other normal people who were there to speak for the people. Now it’s just a money making job. People be damned.
Lol, no. That's not what I was saying. I was criticizing that fact that our "leaders" are so old they're being found in retirement homes and are DYING in office.
This should NOT be happening. These people should have STEPPED ASIDE long ago.
Ken didn't get the memo, or he wouldn't have mentioned it. He'll generally give a pass on age if the politics are right by his estimation. Please start leaking to Ken again before he turns into full blown Grim/Taibbi.
So, let me get this straight….if you’re “one of the good ones,” you’re entitled to linger in office with a terminal illness (missing votes) during a constitutional crisis? Get a grip.
Glad he didn’t step down in light of his terminal illness and missed a bunch of votes in the process. These folks are light on ethics and entitlement and heavy on ego.
Serious question Klipoenstein- would you post this if a congressperson died of breast cancer at 37?
The lack of discernment & health literacy coming from this account is verging on eugenicist
Pointing out the failures of gerontocracy is not eugenicist. If the party chooses solely to re-elect incumbents until their death or incompetence, the party loses the will of the people. Biden was a fairly good president on most domestic policy, but utterly failed in communicating because of his age
Grijalva died from complications of cancer treatment. Cancer strikes at any age. It’s a collapse of *health literacy* & an indication of serious ableism to assert that his death is merely a matter of gerontocracy. Should people undergoing cancer treatment step aside regardless of age & profession?
To put it simply - yes. If someone is not in good enough health to serve in the House of Representatives, it is selfish for them to run for election. I understand the argument you're making, but this is the second representative to die in 9 days, a little more than 4 months after the election.
The minority party that claims to be protecting us from the abuses of the administration is a suicide cult of retirees. I don't know why you are fighting for it, I assume personal similarities, but looking away from these problems will only result in further losses. I don't want that, do you?
This is laughably wrong. The analysis is rooted in personal & professional experience. It could not be clearer that collapsing the categories between age & diseases such as cancer is deeply bro coded & damaging to credibility. 1 in 4 USians of all ages are affected by ill health &/or disability
Not seeing how it's "verging on eugenicist" to point out why it's not the best idea to tie any elected office to someone actively battling a live threatening condition especially when that person is elderly.
Should government officials step aside when battling debilitating health conditions regardless of age or role? That’s the conversation people aren’t having
Instead we’re invited to line up our elders to push out on ice floes
Age limits are worth discussing. So is the need for mandatory medical leave
When your role is 1 of 435 representatives and you're meant to be the sole representative for an assigned block of the population, then I'm sorry but you should not be allowed to run for that office if your health is knowingly at risk. Spare me the dramatics.
Staying strong & wrong. Should candidates get a health assessment confirming fitness for office? Perhaps- who decides if being under treatment for chronic conditions is good enough?
Do you know how many cancers are treatable & which aren’t.
What about heart disease & cardiovascular conditions?
The argument for age limits NEEDS TO ORIGINATE somewhere else. The problem is optimizing for seniority leads to dinosaurs refusing to make way for ideological reasons.
If there’s a minimum age there should be a maximum age to assure party renewal & the development of new political talent. End of.
Rest in Power, Raúl Grijalva! We appreciate your public advocacy for the rights of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon rainforest. May other members of the U.S. House be inspired by your generous spirit!
Comments
Instead he RBG'd it.
Age in politics is a concern.
A major insult to one’s health can come at any time.
Disability affects 1 in 4 US adults & serious illness strikes even more.
Sending love to his community
This should NOT be happening. These people should have STEPPED ASIDE long ago.
Now, we suffer because of their ego(s).
staying in office because of the top notch free healthcare?
This is ridiculous.
The lack of discernment & health literacy coming from this account is verging on eugenicist
Instead we’re invited to line up our elders to push out on ice floes
Age limits are worth discussing. So is the need for mandatory medical leave
Do you know how many cancers are treatable & which aren’t.
What about heart disease & cardiovascular conditions?
If there’s a minimum age there should be a maximum age to assure party renewal & the development of new political talent. End of.