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Patti, I generally do not respond to the give and take of members of this list, but I like you, take exception. I to your condemnation of the humor of the group. It certainly is your right not to laugh or to delete, but I'm not sure about the need to put others down for their sense of humor. I have been a member of this list for 3 years, and have found the members of this group to be amongst the most caring and sensitive of folks. Humor, as you know, is one way we can cope with reality. Jokes are often a way to cope with concrete and bitter reality.I suggest that if you want to do a content analysis of the joke, you might consider the composition of our list membership. We are composed of folks who have a very personal stake in Parkinson's, we all hope for a cure for this most difficult status of life, we are not going to get younger, but older, and we all are very worried about our future. We worry a great deal about what pleasures we do have and have lost. Our jokes are ways we can find a bit of humor about those circumstances. We are already too aware of the nature of reality. I don't think I would have answered your postings, for all have the RIGHT to opinion, but I'm not to certain of scolding for our RIGHT to our humor. At 10:40 AM 10/29/98 -0500, you wrote: >Dear List Friends: > > O.K., I was going to let this one pass, but having seen it re-posted, I >am compelled to respond. I enjoy a good laugh as much as the next person, >but I am distressed by the cavalier attitude displayed in passing on this >"humor." First Ethel was described as "one sandwich short of a picnic." I >assume this means that she is incompetent. Given that, I find the sexual >nature of the joke tasteless at best. > > To the sender of this "joke" and to those who think it's funny: Are you >aware that assault, including sexual assault is a serious problem for those >who are institutionalized? Are you aware that this type of behavior toward >someone who is legally incapable of consent (incompetent, mentally ill, >minors) is criminal? Would you laugh if Ethel were your >mother/wife/sister/daughter/father/husband/brother/son? > > Would you laugh if this joke were about wife-beating, sex with children, >gay-bashing, or a sexual assault on a PWP? Have a little sensitivity here, >and consider what you are condoning. What we are talking about here is >victimization. > >Patti >