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Last week John Fetterman sat down with NBC News political reporter Dasha Burns. Fetterman is the Pennsylvania Senate candidate running against Dr. Mehmet Oz. On May 13th, Fetterman suffered a stroke and has been recovering from the effects it left on his body and brain. As a result of the brain injury, Fetterman requested a closed captioning device so he could read the questions, claiming his recovery had created an issue with auditory processing. Reporter Burns’ comment that Fetterman had trouble understanding small talk before the interview has created a stir.
Gisele Fetterman, the wife of the Senate hopeful, took to the news cycle to state she felt the journalist needed consequences for her comments. She stated, “I mean, there are consequences for folks in these positions who are any of these -isms. I mean, she was ableist. That’s what she was in her interview. It was appalling to the entire disability community, and I think to journalism.”
Journalism needs to be independent, transparent, and free to report. Dasha Burns did nothing wrong to answer a question from her perspective, open and honestly. The only thing hurt was the pride and feelings of the Fetterman family. There is a great difference between equality and equity. The disability community should not be appalled; instead, they should cheer on Fetterman. The strides he has made are inspiring for those in recovery from strokes and brain injuries.
Instead of focusing on the answers he gave, his wife decided to use the victim mentality and attack quality journalism. In the end, truth and transparency suffer from an ideology that represents only the truth and transparency deemed appropriate by those influencing it. Both sides of the political world are controlling conversations. One side seems to be more willing to ask questions and seek truth, while the other side seems to want to dictate truth without exploring a deepened understanding.
Image: NBC News