December 08, 2010 05:46 AM UTC

Elizabeth Edwards fought hard; President should, too

•  
• by: susanalt1

As I learned of the death today of Elizabeth Edwards, I am saddened at her loss but also thankful for the example she set for so many of us who have fought or are fighting cancer.  When we learned of the seriousness of her disease during a time when her husband was a candidate for President, she demonstrated a courageous will to continue to do the things that mattered most to her and she continued to fight for the causes she believed in, even while facing the most difficult diagnosis of her life.  This was a remarkable achievement in its own right:  she did not wallow in the seriousness of her diagnosis but threw herself into her advocacy for women’s rights, health care reform, and other democratic causes.  She continued to be who she was, a fighter who believed in causes that she freely championed and that she worked so hard for.  I cannot help but think that her courage and fighting spirit should be an example for our own President this day, who caved in under pressure from newly empowered Republicans to give up his fight for just causes (he caved on eliminating the tax cut for the richest Americans, among other things) simply because he believed it was too hard to fight it.   Elizabeth bore the brunt of many disappointments in her life, but despite the pain of these, she continued to be a fighter.  If only our President would see the value in continuing to fight for what is right, and not for what is most easily achieved.