Every once in a while there is a good story, one that reflects peiple who are in politics for the right reasons, and act in ways that reflect the right values. Here is one, in a thread. 1/
My son Matthew died accidentally of carbon monoxide poisoning in a motel in Delaware in January 2015. The greatest tragedy of my life, and that of my family. Delaware, like many states, had laws requiring smoke detectors in lodging establishments but not carbon monoxide ones. 2/
While Matthew’s death was not caused by the motel, many people each year die from carbon monoxide emissions. Detectors are cheap. They save lives. I ran into then-Governor Jack Markell of DE in the summer of 2016. I mentioned Matthew & the need for a new law.
He followed up with me a week later, asking for more inofrmation and data. His terrific legal counsel Meredith Tweedie followed up with a visit. But the DE legislature was not in session much of the time before Markell’s term ended, and nothing happned. 4/
I thought the opportunity had passed—but I heard from Jack Markell a couple of weeks ago. Even after he left office, he kept at it. In late July, Governor Carney signed the bill into law. Markell did not need to be in office to do the right thing. He did it because he is a Mensch
Whenever I despair of politicians who do the wrong thing, or act in a cynical fashion, or turn a deaf ear when children are sadistically separated from their parents, I think of people like Jack Markell. This as exceptional. But there are plenty of good people in politics.
