Joe Biden Shares About Losing Wife and Daughter

Pol Light Moment #11 is when Joe Biden shared about losing his wife and daughter in a car accident to encourage families of fallen soldiers for a Memorial Day 2012 observance.  Joe Biden has been the Vice President of the United States from 2009 to the present. Prior to that he served as a United States Senator for Delaware from 1973-2009.

Joe Biden lost his first wife and their 18 month daughter in a tragic car accident on December 18, 1972, while he was preparing to start his first term as a United States Senator (Source). His two sons were seriously injured in the accident as well but survived.

On Friday, May 25, 2012, Vice-President Joe Biden shared a new aspect about his loss at an event for TAPS (Tragedy Assistance for Survivors) in Virginia. In the speech for the first time Joe Biden revealed about how he understood feelings of suicide after the loss. His remarks in the speech included this:

I probably shouldn't say this with the press here, but it's more important, you're more important. For the first time in my life, I understood how someone could consciously decide to commit suicide. Not because they were deranged, not because they were nuts, because they had been to the top of the mountain, and they just knew in their heart they would never get there again (ABC News, Devin Dwyer, Joe Biden Reflects on Immense Grief after Loss of Wife, Daughter, May 25, 2012).

Joe Biden went on in the speech to encourage those who had experienced loss of someone in the armed services, saying, "There will come a day, I promise you, and your parents as well, when the thought of your son or daughter or your husband or wife brings a smile to your lips before it brings a tear to your eye (Source)."

The following is a news feature on this moment by the Rachel Maddow show.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

Joe Biden has been featured on other posts at Pol Light. To view them search the blog with the label "Joe Biden".

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo of Joe Biden is in the Public Domain and is the official United States federal government photo of Joe Biden.

Jimmy Carter Partners with Habitat for Humanity

Jimmy Carter

Pol Light Moment #10 is Jimmy Carter partnering with the work of Habitat for Humanity. Jimmy Carter was the 39th President of the United States, serving from 1977-1981. Prior to that he served as the Governor of Georgia from 1971-1975. Since 1984, Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalyn have devoted a week each year to a Habitat for Humanity Project (Source).

In 2008, Jimmy Carter said this about his work in Habitat for Humanity.

Habitat gives us an opportunity which is very difficult to find: to reach out and work side by side with those who never had a decent home--but work with them on a completely equal basis. It's not a big-shot, little-shot relationship. It's a sense of equality (Source). 

The following is a video of Jimmy Carter announcing the Carter Work Project in China in 2009.



Jimmy Carter has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Jimmy Carter Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo in this post is in the Public Domain as an official photo of the United States government.

Ronald Reagan Announces He Has Alzheimer's Disease

Pol Light Moment #9 is when Ronald Reagan announced he had Alzheimer's Disease. It is a bright moment in politics not because any decent human being was happy to receive the news, but because when Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy elected to reveal his Alzeheimer's condition to the public, it raised awareness for an incurable and debilitating health condition that impacts millions of people by robbing them of their memories and eventually the ability to function. For more information on Alzheimer's see the Altzheimer's Foundation of America.

Ronald Reagan was the 40th President of the United States, serving from 1981-1989. 5 years after the end of his Presidency, Ronald Reagan revealed he had Altzheimer's on November 5, 1994.  Reagan lived with the progression of Alzheimer's for 10 years until he died on June 5, 2004.
The following is the text of a handwritten note Ronald Reagan released to the public about his condition.

Nov. 5, 1994 

My Fellow Americans,

I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease.

Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make this news known in a public way.

In the past Nancy suffered from breast cancer and I had my cancer surgeries.  We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness.  We were happy that as a result many more people underwent testing. 

They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy lives.

So now, we feel it is important to share it with you.  In opening our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition.  Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals and families who are affected by it.

At the moment I feel just fine.  I intend to live the remainder of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always done.  I will continue to share life’s journey with my beloved Nancy and my family.  I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay in touch with my friends and supporters.

Unfortunately, as Alzheimer’s Disease progresses, the family often bears a heavy burden.  I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy from this painful experience. When the time comes I am confident that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.

In closing let me thank you, the American people for giving me the great honor of allowing me to serve as your President.  When the Lord calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.

I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life.  I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.

Thank you, my friends.  May God always bless you.

Sincerely, 

Ronald Reagan" (Source of Letter's Text)

Ronald Reagan's revelation that he had Alzheimer's has been impacting others living with a similar condition in their lives since it occurred in 1994.  It should be noted that the courage to reveal to the public that he had Alzheimer's was not without sacrifice for Ronald Reagan, because it fueled speculation on whether he had the condition while he was President of the United States. The Ronald Reagan Foundation said that:

As for the topic of Alzeheimer's, this subject has been well documented over the years by both President Reagan's personal physicians, physicians who treated him after the diagnosis, as well as those who worked closely with him daily. All are consistent in their view that signs of Alzheimer's did not appear until well after President Reagan left the White House (Source).

Ronald Reagan has been featured on other Pol Light posts. To view all Ronald Reagan posts search with the Ronald Reagan label at Pol Light.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

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Photo: The photo in this post is in the Public Domain.

Richard Codey Spends Night Undercover in Homeless Shelter

Pol Moment #8 is when Richard Codey spent the night undercover in a homeless shelter in Newark, New Jersey. Richard Codey is a former Governor of New Jersey, having served from 2004-2006. At the time of this moment he was a state senator in New Jersey representing the 27th Legislative district in New Jersey.

Richard Codey has had a passion for addressing the needs of homeless people in New Jersey. He said about his project, "We're looking to shine a light on people, who in this economy, are forgotten about (Source)."

Part of his research included spending the night undercover in a homeless shelter on March 6, 2012. When Richard Codey went undercover he stated to the shelters that he had recently been released from a mental institution. He said that closed some doors for him to find housing. Here is a news story on Richard Codey's venture.


For more information on Richard Codey's experience in a homeless shelter read this article from NJ.com.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo in this post is in the Wikipedia Commons and was taken by Scott Edelberg.

Abraham Lincoln Visits Southern Soldiers in Hospital

Pol Light Moment #7 is when Abraham Lincoln visited the Southern soldiers in the hospital during the Civil War. Abraham Lincoln was the 16th President of the United States, serving from 1861 until his assassination in 1865. Lincoln was a wartime President and in this Pol Light Moment we read the story of when he was performing hospital visitation and took the time to not only see Union soldiers but also see sick and wounded prisoners from the Southern army who were being cared for in a Union hospital.

The account of this story is preserved in the writings of Dr. Jerome Walker of Brooklyn who accompanied President Lincoln when he visited the Ninth City Ward Hospital in City Point, Virginia in 1865. President Lincoln visited this hospital just a week before he was assassinated. This is the first person account of Dr. Jerome Walker.

Finally, after visiting the wards occupied by our invalid and convalescing soldiers, we came to three wards occupied by sick and wounded Southern prisoners. With a feeling of patriotic duty, I said, 'Mr. President, you won't want to go in there; they are only rebels.' I will never forget how he stopped and laid his large hand upon my soldier and quietly answered, 'You mean Confederates.' And I have meant Confederates ever since. 

There was nothing left for me to do after the President's remark but to go with him through these three wards; and I could not see but that he was just as kind, his handshakings just as hearty, his interest just as real for welfare of the men, as when he was among our own soldiers.

As we returned to headquarters, the President urged upon me the importance of caring for them as faithfully as I should for our own sick and wounded. (Source)  

Abraham Lincoln has been featured on other Pol Light posts. To view all Abraham Lincoln posts search with Abraham Lincoln label at Pol Light.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo in this post of Abraham Lincoln is in the Public Domain.

Bill Clinton Leads Haiti Earthquake Relief

Bill Clinton

Pol Light Moment #6 is Bill Clinton leading long-term earthquake relief efforts for the country of Haiti. Bill Clinton was the 42nd President of the United States and served from 1993-2001. He also served as the Governor of Arkansas from 1983-1992. Bill Clinton has been serving as United Nations Special Envoy for Haiti since his appointment in May, 2009 (Source). The former President uses his Clinton Global Initiative to help with some of the needs of Haiti.

On January 12, 2010 at 4:52p.m., a 7.0 Magnitude earthquake hit Haiti. The earthquake hit about 16 miles from Haiti's capital city and impacted 3 million people. About 200,000 people perished and millions were left homeless. Bill Clinton was on the ground in Haiti within a week after the diaster and he visited Haiti 13 times in the year following the earthquake (Source). For more information on the earthquake see the Wikipedia page on this event.

Here is a CBS news video of Bill Clinton encouraging support for relief for Haiti a few days after the earthquake hit.

For more information on how Bill Clinton has lead the relief for Haiti read these online articles.

• Bill Clinton and the Country that Never Was
• Bill Clinton on Hospital Tour in Haiti
• Bill Clinton's Lasting Legacy May be Haiti

Quote Light: Bill Clinton has a page on the Quote Light blog.

Bill Clinton has been featured in other Pol Light moments and can be found by searching this blog with the Bill Clinton Label.

Pol Light does not endorse political candidates. We present a brighter side to politics when they are found on either side of the aisle. We don't have to agree with all of a person's politics to recognize these bright moments.

Photo: The photo of President Bill Clinton is the official photo of a US Government official and is in public domain.  The image of Haiti is from Wikipedia.