Left-handed
U.S. presidents: Garfield, Hoover, Truman, Ford, Reagan,H.W. Bush,
Clinton. About 15 percent of the population are lefties;
30 percent
of people in
mental hospitals are lefties. They are also more prone
to migraines, insomnia,
allergies and schizophrenia. A higher proportion of mentally retarded people are
southpaws, and more people with
IQs over 140 are left handed than right.
Rue 89, France
The White House: A
Vast 'Left-Handed' Conspiracy
"When Obama or McCain move
into the White House in January, four of the five last American presidents will
have been left-handed. … Despite his movement to the center, the Democratic
candidate has managed to mobilize a group of left-handed voter for Obama."
By Guillemette Faure
Translated By Kate Davis
July 24, 2008
France - Rue 89 -
Original Article (French)
On November 4, Americans
will elect the fourth left-handed president since Ronald Reagan. Coincidence?
Barack Obama or John McCain?
On November 4, the United States will have a choice between left and left ...
hand, that is. The two contenders for the White House are both left-handed.
Coincidence? In 1992, the three candidates, Bush senior, Bill Clinton and Ross
Perot, were all left-handed (and Clinton was elected left-handed person of the
year by the international association of left-handed people that year). Ronald
Reagan was also left-handed. In other words, when Obama or McCain moves into
the White House in January, four of the five last American presidents will have
been left-handed.
And if the Supreme Court
hadn’t lent a hand to George W. Bush during the recount of votes in Florida in
2000, with the election of Al Gore the five last American presidents
would have been left-handed. What's more, the last two right-handed presidents,
Jimmy Carter and George W. Bush, quickly lost their hands, arriving at
the end of their presidency with popularity ratings at their lowest.
To
learn more, we reached out a hand to Pierre-Michel Bertrand, author of History
of Left-Handed People [Histoire des gauchers ] and of the Dictionary for Left-Handed
People [Dictionnaire des gauchers]. To his knowledge, France has
never had a left-handed Head of State. But he's not unduly surprised at the
succession of left-handers in the Oval Office, given that the United States has
a much higher percentage of left-handed than France:
“The proportion of
left-handed (per country) is directly proportional to the tolerance accorded
left-handers. It was 3 percent in early 20th century France. It's now around 15
percent and in the United States, it's approaching 25 percent. It [the U.S.] is
historically a more permissive country, more concerned with individual rights,
which has lifted the stigma from left-handedness much earlier than in our Old
Europe.
“In France, a left-hander was
persona non grata in schools until the 1960s, and social pressure made
it so that until the 1970s, there were students being “converted to
right-handedness” or “de-lefted.” A left-hander who proclaims himself
left-handed and functions as a left-handed person is a very recent phenomenon
in France.”
Despite
his movement to the center, the Democratic candidate has managed to mobilize a
group of left-handed for Obama .
But surprise, the senator from Illinois eats his sandwiches with his right hand
… Is this a legacy of the ashamed left-hander? “It's strange because he's so
young…” (46) says Pierre-Michel Bertrand. In other words, too young to be part
of the generation that was forced to use his right hand. It has been noted
(after having been read in the Washington Post ) that
the senator from Illinois might have been influenced by spending four years of
his childhood in Indonesia.
This seems to hold up.
“Muslim countries are vehemently opposed to left-handedness. In those
countries, the rate of left-handedness is lower than 5 percent.” There, they
seem to have forgotten that Osama bin Laden, according to the FBI , is
himself left-handed - even if he hasn't been seen eating a sandwich.
In the United States, in 2008
as in 1992, explanations are sought for this over-representation of
left-handers in the White House. The principal explanation?: The idea that the left-handed
have always been obliged to approach the world differently. In this regard,
Pierre-Michel Bertrand doesn't pull any punches:
“Even if he hasn’t suffered
persecution, the left-hander has developed a very strong sense of
differentness. He's bothered at the table, he has a different setting. That
gives him a strong personality.”
Posted by WORLDMEETS.US
Other explanations would be welcomed.
CLICK HERE FOR FRENCH
VERSION
READ ALSO ON THIS SUBJECT:
Azzaman, Iraq
Obama or McCain:
Awaiting
the Next American
Southpaw
http://worldmeets.us/azzaman000179.shtml
[Posted by WORLDMEETS.US July 26, 2:36am]
