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This is a multi-part message in MIME format. --------------21D1504DD23BE72E7FFC99A1 Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit -- I thought I posted this but inadvertantly only sent it to Walt. It wa meant for group discussion. ********************************************************** CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D. MADISON, WISCONSIN [log in to unmask] ********************************************************** --------------21D1504DD23BE72E7FFC99A1 Content-Type: message/rfc822 Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Content-Disposition: inline Message-ID: <[log in to unmask]> Date: Mon, 05 May 1997 12:27:16 -0500 From: "Charles T. Meyer" <[log in to unmask]> X-Mailer: Mozilla 4.0b3 [en] (Win95; I) MIME-Version: 1.0 To: [log in to unmask] Subject: Re: CELEBRITY AND PS X-Priority: 3 (Normal) References: <[log in to unmask]> Content-Type: text/plain; charset=us-ascii Content-Transfer-Encoding: 7bit Walt et al, I don't want to leave you out there as the Lone Ranger. As I said in my earlier Post on this subject I more or less am in your camp on this one. While I absolutely support the right of celebrities to keep their medical problems to themselves I question the effect of them doing it. The exception I make for this are people in public office. Janet Reno did it right in my opinion by making the diagnosis public early. She needs to adjust to it and make it clear that she has a disabling illness that may affect her functioning in the future. She holds a position of public trust and therefore has some responsibility to keep the public informed of things that may affect her ability to carry out that trust. Contrast that to Ronald Reagan who by many reports had significant symptoms of Alzheimer's Disease while still in office. Whether he knew was another story but if he did he should have resigned. The Pope still denies the obvious. Again, he has the right to refuse to give out his medical diagnosis but I don't think it does much for his moral authority to lie about the obvious. It is as though PD is something to be ashamed of and his stature is reduced by the public's knowledge of his illness. The lying about it has hurt his stature and moral authority much more than the truth ever could. Regarding Billy Graham at least he isn't denying his illness publicly. He doesn't need to take PD on as a cause but as a moral leader I would hope that he would have the strength of character to deal openly with his struggle with PD in the same way that he was able to admit in the interview other personal struggles. His failure to do this gives to the public a message that having PD diminishes him as a person. Maybe the reason he doesn't talk about it is that he believes that it does in which case I certainly have sympathy for him- But that doesn't decrease the harm that his silence does to those of us with PD. I am sure this will stimulate some discussion. Charlie Walter O. Huegel wrote: > > 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. -- ********************************************************** CHARLES T. MEYER, M.D. MADISON, WISCONSIN [log in to unmask] ********************************************************** --------------21D1504DD23BE72E7FFC99A1--