Ivan,
I do not think that we, either as the PD community or as the voting
electorate in Florida, have the right to have such detailed information about
Janet's Reno's health, her medication regime, and her diet. Actually, I
think only some PWPs would be interested in this detailed information anyway.
These are private matters between Ms Reno and her doctor. You should be
able to find this information if you want anyway because I understand that
Ms. Reno not only released her doctor's statements that she was capable of
withstanding the rigors of the campaign and the rigors of the attorney
general position in Florida, but that Ms Reno also released all of her
medical records, since her diagnosis of PD, to the media.
I personally doubt that Ms. Reno is paying a great deal of attention
to her health or the stress she is under at the present time, although I
suspect that she is interested to the extent that she wants to avoid another
public fainting episode. Ms. Reno is older than me and she went to law
school before me. She represents to me the type of female (not woman) lawyer
who blazed the trial for me and many others but who has no idea of the
difficulties she has endured or the costs she has paid to get where she is
today. She is a true legal warrior and a role model for all attorneys.
If you asked Janet Reno if she experienced discrimination based on
gender in law school, she would probably say no. If you asked her if she
experienced discrimination based on gender in her job as district attorney
for Dade County, Florida, she would probably say no. If you asked her if she
experienced discrimination either based on gender or based on her
disability/handicap (PD) while U.S. Attorney General, she would probably say
no. If you asked her if campaigning was difficult for her or stressful in
any way, she would probably say no. If you asked her if the attorney general
position at this point in time with the current, and projected state, of her
general health and her PD, would be diffcult for her or stressful for her in
any way , she would probably say no. I would answer all these questions
differently: I know as a woman attorney and as a PWP what Ms. Reno must have
endured/suffered on a daily basis throughout her legal career. But, Janet
Reno is Janet Reno. She will carry on to the end, giving speeches, totally
ignoring the constant tremors in her arms, the difficulties and the stress in
her campaign, the wisdom of a special PD diet, etc. But this is all her
choice, and the possible consequences to her are losing the campaign and/or
damaging her health. It is her choice. It is her life.
I have been far more concerned how the media reported the fainting
episode. I was leaving my house, when I heard on the Today show that Ms.
Reno had fainted. I am saying to myself: "Oh, no-o-o-" when the television
commentator says "And there she goes!" I look up and I see Ms Reno fall, in
slow motion, to the side of the podium; I see her knees collapse, I see her
fall on her back and roll to her side with her eyes closed. No one rushes to
help her. The next morning on the local news, I see a clip when Ms. Reno is
released from the hospital. She is walking very slowly toward a car, and she
has a very grim and determined look on her face. The media is all around
her. Her winter coat falls off her shoulders, but she does nothing. The
coat falls further, and it looks like it is going to fall all the way off
her. Someone from behind, outside the frame of the camera, pulls the coat up
for her. Ms. Reno gets into the car, and her skirt hikes up, all the way to
her lap. The camera relentlessly exposes her uncovered legs. She does
nothing. The young woman behind her wraps the coat around Ms. Reno's legs
and shuts the door of the car. Through the car window I could see Ms. Reno's
head lean forward onto her chest.
I don't know what the electorate in Florida is seeing/will see, but
that is what I saw in Northeastern Wisconsin. In my mind I see these clips
being played over and over again in Florida prior to the election. There
were also newspaper photos all over of Ms Reno during and after the fall. I
do not know if the release of Ms Reno's medical records and the
representation of herself as being fit and healthy, despite the PD and the
campaign, can overcome the media coverage of the fainting spell. I grieve
for Ms. Reno and the chances for her to win this election, and I hope and
pray her health will withstand the demands she places upon it, but I am not
the guardian of her health nor am I her campaign manager or a campaign
contributor. I live in Wisconsin: I will not vote in that Florida election.
I think that this campaign will impose more stress upon her than the job
itself, but she may never get the job. I assume she considered the
possiblity of withdrawing from the campaign, but probably not very
seriously. After all, Janet Reno is Janet Reno. And this is her Last
Hurrah. I wish her well on all counts. Katie
----------------------------------------------------------------------
To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask]
In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn
