I didn’t watch the debate, for many reasons, but I have to weigh in on one piece of commentary that I keep seeing. As a person who stutters herself, I implore you to stop analyzing Joe Biden’s speech patterns. Don’t even mention it!

I stutter, and it took much speech therapy to accept that it is just how I speak. Some days I am fluid, some days I am decidedly not. There are tricks and to manage my speech, and at times I fall into old patterns, but mostly I don’t want to be anything other than what I am.

I accept no value judgments from others on my speech. There is nothing inherently good or bad or weak or strong about it. It is not a thing for me, or for Joe Biden, to manage or overcome or sharpen.

It is for others to understand and accept that stuttered speech is no less important or meaningful or authoritative.

And for fuck’s sake, stop interrupting us. A brief pause is only awkward because you are making it awkward!