John Fetterman Should Confront America’s Ableism Problem
There is a school of thought that says that whatever is going on with Sen. John Fetterman—both his physical well-being and his mental health, following a stroke in May of last year—is a private matter between him and his doctors. It’s no one else’s business.
And so, the argument goes, Americans should mind their manners and stop speculating about whether the newly sworn-in Pennsylvania senator can continue to serve out his six-year term, and what it would mean for the delicate balance of power in the Senate if the answer is “no.”
But there is also a counterargument that says elected leaders surrender at least some of their right to privacy when they ask the public to put its trust in them. And so, Fetterman’s health and long-term prospects for recovery are most certainly the business of the nearly 13 million residents of the Keystone State. Furthermore, this line of thinking suggests, the question of whether Fetterman can go the distance impacts all Americans because it could affect which party controls the Senate.