On September 5th of 1994, an 8th-grade student named Branden Brooks nervously raised his hand during the Q&A session of a presentation by then-Senator Joe Biden. After the event, having noticed the teenager’s stutter as he asked his question, Biden pulled him to one side:
“Sen. Biden told me that he used to stutter as a kid but never let it interfere with his life goals. In fact, Sen. Biden added that he would purposely seek public speaking opportunities (such as acting in plays) to force himself to speak in public.”
A week later, Brooks received the following letter. Immediately acting on Biden’s advice, he then successfully ran for class president and held the position throughout high-school and college. In 2008, in a remarkable twist of fate, Brooks was sworn in as a prosecutor in Delaware by Joe Biden’s son, Beau. Brooks currently works as an attorney in St. Louis.
6.9.94
Dear Branden —
It was a pleasure meeting you yesterday. You are a fine — bright — young man with a great future ahead of you if you continue to work hard.
Remember what I told you about stuttering. You can beat it just like I did. When you do, you will be a stronger man having won. Also remember, every time you are tempted to make fun of someone with a problem, how it feels when you are made fun of. Treat everyone with respect and you will be respected yourself.
Your friend,
Joe Biden
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Another example of how dear this man is ❤️
Let’s go, Branden!!!