Well, you guys guess how long my original letter was? 886 words!

Since they only want 200 words, I got it reduced to 500 something!!! LOL

I sent it to the letters to the editor, the President, and the Features Editor.....

Here it tis!!!

Knoxville News Sentinel
2332 News Sentinel Drive
Knoxville, TN, 37921

RE: ‘Who’s going to speak up for these people?’ in Sunday's paper 4/6/08

April 9, 2008

Dear Editor,

I am one of approximately 400,000 Americans living with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) according to the National Multiple Sclerosis Society (NMSS). This newspaper article insinuated that MS and mental illness go hand in hand, but yet on the home page of the NMSS under symptom list, mental illness, bipolar, nor schizophrenia are listed. Multiple Sclerosis is NOT a mental illness.

No facts were given on this man's mental illnesses. The only two facts about MS stated were “MS is a chronic, often disabling disease in which the body's immune system attacks the central nervous system...” and then “...Betaseron, a drug designed to slow the effects of MS. “ This did not explain the disease to the general public whatsoever. And the scariest thing is that it read as if Betaseron was responsible for his mental illness. The paper could have educated the public and advertised the MS walk that was held in Knoxville.

This article did not reflect thoughtful research. Instead it reeled in poor journalism and sensationalism, starting with the headline and the pictures of the sweet children sitting on their daddy's lap. Speak for what people? The reader doesn't ever get a clear understanding of the answer to this question, until they read the very last sentence, in which one can presume that she is referring to mental illness.

What exactly was this article supposed to be about? Seems like the family asked for an article on mental illness and to raise awareness of the limited options for severely mentally ill. Using Greg Wolf's story, a great article could have been made addressing the prison system's inability to deal with the mentally ill. This also would have been a wonderful opportunity to give factual information given on his mental illnesses and on MS.

I feel for Greg Wolf, if he should see this article. The first sentence in this insensitive, poorly researched piece is “His family speaks of him in the past tense without realizing it..” Mental illness nor multiple sclerosis equals stupidity. The sensitivity directed towards him was ill felt. I feel sorry for the family who tried to have the public informed and appeared to be reaching out for help.

This article is an atrocity for people living with multiple sclerosis or with mental illness. I feel strongly that this article reflected very negatively on the community of Msers and the community of mental illness.

What is really sad is that people who live in this readership, and know people with MS are sadly misinformed. And there are a LOT of people who BELIEVE what they read in the paper. They expect the paper to be a knowledgeable entity.

I certainly hope that your paper does not normally engage in this type of sensationalistic publishing, when it seems to be the most widely read paper in Knoxville. Sensationalism. That is all this article is. Sad thing, for the readers, is that all MSers aren't sensational!