Let me admit up front that I have not looked at the Michael J. Fox ad. I have seen Fox, however, in several venues where neither politics or embryonic stem cell research has been an issue, and the guy is in bad shape.
I have some familiarity with Parkinson's. My Mother's best friend and housemate of 18 years after they both retired, had Parkinson's. My Mother had full time responsibility for her care in the last 3 years of her life. I saw the ravages of the disease up close and personal with Helen. She had been in my life since the day I was born, being the first person to see me even before my Dad got to the hospital nursery. She was more like a sister to my Mother and they were best friends for 60 years.
Helen was a vibrant woman who held an executive position during her career years. She was an outdoors woman who loved to camp, backpack and travel the world. You could count on her to always have the quick witty comeback and people loved being around her sparkling personality. She was exceptionally well read and a brilliant woman of excellent breeding and background who I never heard say a mean word about anyone. Well, maybe Bill Clinton. I once heard her complain, "doesn't that man own any long pants?" after seeing several TV clips of him running around in gym shorts.
The disease ravaged her body and little by little she lost the ability to hold a pen and write letters or fill out her checks. She went from using a cane, to needing a walker, to being fitted with horrible clunky shoes with brace inserts to give her support after her Achilles tendon began to shorten and she couldn't put her heels down flat on the floor. She had to walk around on tip toes. Finally, she didn't walk at all. She would have these violent flare-ups where her body and limbs would start flailing in all directions and on one flare-up, the flailing was so violent, she caught my mother off balance and knocked her clear across the room and to the floor.
The morning of the day she died, she had such a bad flare-up, the paramedics were called and three strong men and a strong woman had trouble holding down her 97 pound body long enough to administer a sedative so they could transport her to the hospital. Once at the hospital, they filled her full of morphine and a few hours later she died without regaining consciousness. I personally felt at the time that they overmedicated her and a weak heart gave out, but who can prove that? And frankly, death was a release for her.
Parkinson's is a devastating disease and should never be mocked.
Is Michael J. Fox right in pushing embryonic stem cell research? Studies are reporting brain tumors, etc. But that isn't really the argument, is it? Embryonic stem cell research is not illegal. Private labs are carrying on as I write this. It is government money for research in government labs that is prohibited. Adult stem cell research is permitted. We are talking about tax dollars and I am one who does not want my tax dollars used to destroy embryos for research purposes by the government. Helen didn't want that either. If a private lab wants to do it, then that's their prerogative. So let's keep the discussion on point.
For more details on the Fox debate, see:
Superstar Lineup Blasts the McCaskill-Amendment 2 "Fox"Ad
Kurt Warner, Jeff Suppan, and "Jesus"... Now that's Missouri!
Make no doubt about it... Former Rams quarterback and Super Bowl MVP Kurt Warner and...
Cardinal Ace pitcher Jeff Suppan are The Superstars in Missouri.And, having " The Passion of the Christ " actor Jim Caviezel and Patricia Heaton from " Everybody Loves Raymond " in the cast makes this advertisement against Amendment 2 in Missouri a sure winner!
Response ad to the Claire McCaskill-Amendment 2 ad in Missouri:
I've basically been doing nothing worth mentioning. Not that it matters. I just don't have anything to say these days. I've just been hanging out waiting for something to happen. Not much on my mind these days.
Posted by: shogun | 25 September 2007 at 03:56 AM
Agree with a flat tax system
Posted by: street | 17 October 2007 at 01:26 AM