DEAR BARB M YOU DO ME WRONG WITH YOUR CLICHES:"KICK ASS; STEP IN THE LIMELIGHT; BEAT A DEAD HORSE". AXIOMS I BELIEVE TO BE TRUE: 1. A CELEBRITY, AND WE AS WELL, HAVE THE RIGHT TO GO PUBLIC OR REMAIN SILENT ABOUT OUR ILLNESS. 2 OTHERS FEEL A MORAL IMPERATIVE TO GO PUBLIC, E.G., NANCY REAGAN/ALZHEIMERS; BETTY FORD/ALCOHOLISM; CHRISTOPHER REEVE/SPINAL CORD INJURIES...AND I TOO. 3. FDR WAS WHELCHAIR BOUND. HIS NEW STATUE ATTEMPTS TO MAKE HISTORY MORE AUTHENTIC. SOME SAY THIS IS REVISIONISM OF HISTORY. IT SENDS A MESAGE TO TODAY'S WHEELCHAIR BOUND THAT THEY NEED NOT BE ASHAMED, OR STAY HIDDEN. BARB YOU HAVE ONLY STRENTHENED ME IN MY CONVICTION THAT A CELEBRITY HAS THE RIGHT TO REMAIN SILENT. BUT MOST OF ALL THERE IS THE MORAL IMPERATIVE TO SPEAK OUT. NOW SOME HUMOUR............... SPEAKING OF "BEATING A DEAD HORSE" AND "FDR'S NEW STATUE: . A TOWN COMMISSIONED A STATUE TO BE CAST OF IT'S LOCAL WAR HERO, A FAMOUS GENERAL. AT THE UNVEILING THE MAYOR ASKED THE GENERAL FOR HIS OPINION OF THE STATUE. "I LIHE IT, BUT WHY DO YOU HAVE ME IN THAT POSITION?" THE MAYOR ANSWERED THE GENENAL, "FRANKLY SIR..... WE COULDN'T AFFORD A HORSE." SUBMITTED FROM THE HEART.....WALT H.