CNN’s Jake Tapper Wonders, How Do You Want To Be Remembered After Your Murder?
The doctor walked into the hospital room. He made small talk with the patient, asking about his wife and kids, as the nurse changed the IV bag. After the nurse left, the doctor told the patient that he has an advanced disease that is aggressively closing in on his remaining health. The doctor then asked the patient how he would like to be remembered by his family.
We’d say this doctor — at the very least — has a terrible bedside manner. And at the most, that the doctor has no empathy, no courtesy, and no compassion to realize that a short time ago the patient was completely healthy and is now being told he will soon lose his life battle. We’d ask ourselves why the doctor would tell this patient that death is closing in on him and then ask how, once he loses his battle, he wants to be remembered.
We certainly wouldn’t want to go to that doctor.
Now imagine that CNN’s Jake Tapper is interviewing Ukranian President Volodymyr Zelensky — and that he actually asks the same line of questions. No! You think — there is no way a seasoned and usually courteous news correspondent would EVER do such a thing.
He did. Here is the YouTube link to the interview: https://youtu.be/ujzVIWo6yU4
As the crewmembers used the clapboard before the interview officially began, Jake Tapper asked President Zelensky “How are your wife and kids? Is everybody ok?” They chat about their kids and their kids’ ages before the interview officially starts.
Soon after, Tapper reminds Zelensky that he is likely to be murdered. He all but asked, “hey, they’re trying to murder you and it doesn’t look good for you, so how’d you like to be remembered?”
Tapper actually stated, “There is a chance that you will not survive this war. The Russians have made it clear that they consider you a Nazi, etc. All that nonsense. How do you want the Ukranian people to remember you? How do you want your son and daughter to remember you?”
This politician and former comedic actor — experienced in two professions that are filled with backstabbing and open hostility — doesn’t even flinch. He doesn’t lean in towards Jake Tapper and ask “How could you be so callous as to ask me such a thing? Especially on the heels of asking me how my kids are doing.” He doesn’t even need a moment to gather himself from such a cold, uncaring question.
Instead, Zelensky remains the warm, considerate, loving person that he has shown the world. He responds, “A human being that loved life to the fullest, and loved his family and loved his motherland. Definitely not a hero. I want people to take me as I am, a regular human.”
President Zelensky is more than a regular human. In the face of war and unsuccessful attempts on his life, knowing that he is Putin’s Enemy Number One and wanted dead, he remains poised and filled with love. Even though he has endured the destruction of his country and tens of thousands of fellow Ukranian civilians, he smiles and taps into his love.
Maybe the time Jake Tapper has spent in the television news industry has turned his blood cold. How else could a kind, empathetic human being ever look Zelensky in the eye, remind him that he is wanted dead, and that he likely won’t survive the murder attempts? How did Tapper sink even lower by following that with a question about once the murder attempts are successful, how Zelensky wants to be remembered? Is there no end to his lack of humanity?
Let’s not become so callous ourselves that we unblinkingly watch interviews like this and think its ok. It’s outrageous. The fact that CNN broadcast it shows that Jake is not alone when it comes to being removed from civility and acting respectfully. Let’s just hope that that doctor isn’t walking into Jake Tapper’s family member’s room. Because, as empathetic, love-filled people, we wouldn’t wish that line of questioning on anyone.
