[paula_w]

That was one of the questions asked on a news show today about MJF letting his symptoms show in the ads.

I wrote them with two questions:

When did fairness enter into the campaigns?
if it were declared unfair for MIke to be himself in the ad, isn't that censorship? discrimination?

is it fair...geez
paula

[Stitcher]

Yes, is it discrimination!!

Are we suppose to stay behind closed doors out of the site of the public so that we don't disturb the "healthy" people.

What about M. Ali?
Is appears to be okay for him to be in public. I suppose because he isn't temored or dyskinetic??

But, MJF's dyskinesia causes a stir...why?...because it makes the illness more visible..more real?

The other issue within this whole mess is the continual reference to his "tremor".

It ISN'T tremor...It IS dyskinesia!

[Thelma]

Taking a different look at this I can see Mike sitting back and smiling like from ear to ear about this.

Rush has picked up on this at the best time possible for Mike. He is going to be making, or has made at least five, from the last figure I have heard, commercials for the candidates and the stir caused by this one is just great.

I hope the next ones cause more.

Now let me explain

Everyone who sees CNN all over the world is learning about the symtoms and the treatment and the effects of that treatment and what it can do to an individual.

Individual now, not Mohammed Ali and the way he reacts but the variances in the way it effects others such as MJF.

So when the next one appears they will be looking to see what the hullaballo is all about and looking with more information than they ever did before.

Followed up by the rest of the set i would say MJF has done far far more than he ever imagined he was doing when he did the filming.

Plus what the general publec is learning, and I hope it is on that level and doesn't get petty, is going to be a great help in getting his message across.

We all need to show that there are people behind him that can be relied on to help further that information on a controlled personal level that the general public can respect.

Get into the zone as the kids say he is in and don't be so concerned as to what is being said that is not true. It will hurt you but I do imagine Mike knows he takes the chance of hurting him and his family in that sense as well by showing himself in his less "presentable state". I say that because zzi can't think of the words to describe what I mean so no one take offence please.

I think Mikes Dad would be so proud of him today. He takes the cake.

[GregD]

Is it fair? When did fairness enter the picture? One of the very first lessons I learned in life, life is not fair. It will rob you blind then cut your heart out just because it can.
I think Thelma is right on this one. MJF knows exactly what he is doing and probably knew Rush would pick up on it. I wouldn't be too surprised if MJF didn't bring it to Rush's attention. By the way "presentable state" is a good description. I know I have days where I don't want anyone to see me because I'm not presentable.

GregD

[boann]

hi thelma,

i searched the cnn site and didn't find any reference to side effects - i don't have a tv - are they really telling people that this is a side effect?

[EnglishCountryDancer]

Life is not fair. Returning to a point made earlier in this thread about hiding away when symptoms are at their worst.Is this what PWP do? I know that many other people who have, for example, disfiguring scars do But should they?This links in to my earlier thread about China where P.W.P were highly visable.

[aftermathman]

feel like I have made a living at hiding it over the years for many different reasons.

Work - fear of getting fired if anyone found out, highly visible, client facing job, my charge out rate was £2,500 per day, who would pay that for "damaged goods" was my thoughts.

Home - hide it so as not to upset or frighten wife and kids.

In public - embarrassment, due to my youthful looks , no one believes I have PD, everyone thinks my tremors are due to drink or drugs, think I.

Perhaps I am wrong but from personal experience I find PD in a man in early 40's difficult to show and as a result I try to hide it as best I can.

Not the right thing to do, I found hiding things at work tremendously stressful, guess a lot of it is down to pride and a desire to be normal and fit in.

Perhaps not my most informative post (no mention of Spheramine you will note), but hope this rambling is of some interest.

Aftermathman.

[paula_w]

Hiding it is common; who wants to be the disabled one before they have to be? Others choose to tell. I hid it too.

Boann, there have been single sentence statements about the movements being caused by medication, but they have largely been in passing, no emphasis.

Michael is going to be on Katie Couric tonight - CBS news. Maybe he will explain. I hope people don't accuse him of once again unfairly using his HUGE ADVANTAGE of having Parkinson's Disease.

This is about people in denial underneath it all, and just not wanting to see the reality. One would rather not look at physical disabilities.

Paula