The bitter Pennsylvania Senate race between Dr. Oz and John Fetterman took a step further when an aide to the Republican candidate appeared to blame Fetterman’s diet for his stroke. By Business Insiderthe helper said:
“If John Fetterman had ever eaten a vegetable in his life, then maybe he wouldn’t have had a major stroke and wouldn’t be in the position of constantly having to lie about it.”
Unsurprisingly, Fetterman was unimpressed, tweeting: “I know politics can be disgusting, but even then, I could never imagine ridiculing someone for their health issues.”
Fetterman’s parents and education have also come up during the campaign.
John grew up protected from the inequities of life.
John Fetterman was born on August 15, 1969 to Karl and Susan Fetterman in West Reading, Pennsylvania. Fetterman’s parents were “extremely poor” teenagers when they welcomed John.
Their lives changed when Karl became a partner in an insurance company. He experienced great success, founding Kling Insurance in Pennsylvania and moving his family to an affluent neighborhood in York, Pennsylvania.
“John Fetterman was born into a home with two parents and a lot of food in the fridge and an education and no student debt,” John said. CNN.
Life at home was easy, but John experienced bullying at school as a young man. “He used to litter almost every day,” John said. news. The bullying stopped after she grew into her colossal frame in high school; however, she regrets not having stood up for the harassed.
“What I’m ashamed of is that I didn’t advocate, I didn’t make friends with the marginalized, because I was a coward,” John added. “He knew what he felt and he was afraid that if he did, they would judge me.”
Perhaps John refused to help the less fortunate because he preferred to remain in the rich bubble in which he grew up. Since he was five or six years old, he had lived in a luxurious estate in York, Pennsylvania. John continued:
“I am very ashamed that I grew up largely privileged and insulated from many of the problems [I know about today]. I mean, we turn the residents’ heat back on in the winter; I never in a million years thought I’d come home from school one day and the lights or heat would be off.”
Fetterman opined that he should have been more curious about other people’s experiences. Unfortunately, the tragedy forced him to see the inequality that existed in his backyard.
Fetterman’s parents became concerned when he moved into an abandoned church in Brampton.
A young Fetterman and his father, Karl
Two incidents changed the way John Fetterman views life. During his sophomore year in business school, his friend was killed in a car accident as he was on his way to meet John. Death taught Fetterman a painful lesson about the fragility of life.
Fetterman said, “I was obsessed with the idea that you could get up in the morning, have breakfast, say goodbye to the people you love, and have no idea that your life is reduced to 20 minutes.”
In his search for meaning, he joined Big Brothers in Haven and was paired with a boy who would lose his parents to HIV. John spoke with news on the impact of that experience:
“I have never seen such a disparity before. He was impressed. He lived five or six blocks from Yale University, one of the most prestigious universities in the world, and having an AIDS orphan facing some almost Third World problems, he had never seen anything like it. “
John had a lucrative insurance future waiting for him, but he quit his job and joined AmeriCorps in Pittsburgh. He earned his master’s degree in public policy from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and ended up at Braddock, where he was hired to direct a GED program.
Carlos said albright.edu that he and Susan couldn’t believe it when John left insurance for public service: “He had what I thought was his dream job when he called me and said, ‘I’m going to Pittsburgh to do social work.’ His mom and I just couldn’t believe it.”
John’s parents’ emotions turned from disbelief to concern when John moved into an abandoned church in Braddock. Carlos continued:
“It was infested with rats and it was horrible. His mother and I were so worried about the area, about crime, about drug dealers. Finally, we had to stop worrying and turn it over to the Lord.”
Karl supported John financially during his tenure as mayor of Braddock.
Karl, Fetterman’s father
During one of Fetterman’s many exchanges with Dr. Oz, the Republican candidate said: “I bought my houses with MY money. You lived with your parents until you were 50 years old. Normal people don’t make fun of their parents when they’re 50. Get up off the couch, John!
John’s parents supported him financially during his 13-year term as mayor of Braddock. The mayor’s part-time job paid a paltry $150 a year. The payments stopped when Fetterman was sworn in as lieutenant governor in 2019.
Fetterman also received support from family members: His sister bought the spacious Braddock loft where he lives with his wife and children for $70,000 and sold it to Fetterman for $1.
John sent the following response when the New York Post questioned him about his upbringing: “Look, I’m proud of my upbringing. I was on my way to being a successful businessman, but I changed course and dedicated my life to fighting for forgotten communities.”
Categories: Biography
Source: vcmp.edu.vn