Some Medal of Freedom winners

On his radio show yesterday, America's most recent Medal of Freedom recipient said the coronavirus is being "weaponized" to "bring down Trump." He went on to explain that the virus that has killed more than 27,000 people "is the common cold, folks." I guess because they are "both viral," like the AK-47 and a bayonet are "both weapons." Some people are not very good at making helpful distinctions. It would be mean to criticize them, but the Medal of Freedom?

Out of curiosity, I checked to see who else has gotten a Medal of Freedom from the current president and how they stack up, credential-wise, against recipients from bygone times. Turns out that the list going back to LBJ is pretty interesting: across different administrations, it appears that people working in the arts might have found the most favor—painters, authors, architects, musicians, actors. Possibly Jimmy Carter was attracted to Americans from his native South, for he honored, consecutively (at least on this list they're named consecutively), Robert Penn Warren, Eudora Welty, and Tennessee Williams. Lots of businessmen too, especially from the Republicans, but, on the other hand, Bush the Elder awarded the Medal to B. B. King. You can imagine, if King performed at the White House ceremony, the president trying but failing to keep his body from swaying to the music.

A few fun little byways may be espied by the sharp-eyed. For example, Reagan gave the Medal of Freedom to Eddie DeBartolo, Sr., and now Trump just gave a pardon to Eddie DeBartolo, Jr., so there's some generational rhythm happening there between Republican administrations.

Getting back to Trump, he has seen fit to bestow the award upon two legends of the NBA, Bob Cousy and Jerry West. I wonder whether I can think of what might have attracted him to these all-star guards, one a ballhandler and passer, the other a prolific scorer? I'll announce my conclusion when Rocky Marciano is awarded posthumously.

I remember lampooning (here) Trump's selection of Arthur Laffer for the Medal of Freedom, but, to close on a high note, he also gave the award to Viking great and state supreme court justice Alan Page. I saw Page just a few days ago, and my daughter, Lydia, sees him regularly, because the school she attends was recently renamed Justice Page Middle School, and he often shows up in the morning to greet kids as they walk into the building. On the 88th day of school, there was a celebration—Page wore number 88 for the Vikings—and the math teacher worked up 88 problems for kids to solve during class. In an email blast, she solicited parent volunteers to "keep the kids on task and check work," and when I showed up, there was Alan Page, reporting for the same duty. I think he caught me studying him while the teacher was giving instructions, and I worried he might be thinking, "Oh shit, that looks like the kind of guy who'll try to corner me and talk about the Vikings," so I resolved to leave him alone, which was easy because soon Math Bowl 88 began and we were both busy. But I think he might have brought Carl Eller with him as I saw Carl, walking with a cane, in the hall when I was leaving. I said hi to him and he gave me the nod. Page looks like he could still play, though not in the line—he's whippet-thin, which reminded me that, according to reports, he fell out of favor with Bud Grant for trying to play at too light a weight. 

I wonder whether when Page showed up at the White House Trump had a guess-who's-coming-to-dinner moment. They told me he was a distinguished judge!

CORRECTION: I should have said there were 27,000 cases, not 27,000 deaths. As of today (3/3/20), there have been just over 92,000 cases worldwide, and 3110 deaths.

Comments

[Steve Fiebiger]

Nice piece. In my seven degrees of connection, I attended the same junior high in the early 70s when it was Alexander Ramsey Junior High. I then had a case with Alan Page when he worked for the Minnesota Attorney General's Office. I then argued a case before him when he sat on the state supreme court. He has always been a bright positive light for our state.

[Eric Jorgenson]

Fiebs, you are my best commenter! Don’t know how Page voted in your case but I bet he was fair.