I want to address the controversy surrounding Rush Limbaugh's comments about Michael J. Fox exaggerating his Parkinson's Disease symptoms on a political ad, and quite apart from the unspoken irony of a man who abused prescription medications criticizing someone with a genuine disease, I wanted to address the issue from a perspective of knowledge.
My late father was afflicted with Parkinson's disease at the end of his life, and fortunately, because of the late age and his slower metabolism, it did not cause the terrible problems that this disease can cause in much younger men (such as Michael J. Fox). Parkinson's disease is a terrible affliction. It is not only terrible in its effects, but the side effects of the medications taken to control it, often end up causing more problems than the disease itself. For instance, one of the side effects of one of the commonly prescribed medications can cause addiction to gambling in people who never gambled before, and/or addiction to sex or inappropriate sexual behaviors. It can also cause depression, which is alleviated by taking more of the medication! But from observing my father's condition closely, it was readily apparent that Parkinson's symptoms can vary from day to day, and even hour to hour, despite medication. In addition, excitement or aggravation can severely affect the patient's condition. For instance, if Michael J. Fox felt passionately about the issue of stem cell research and was excited about the issue whilst he was speaking, his "exaggerated movements" would become increasingly severe. Also, and this is one of the bitter ironies of this dreadful disease, when trying to control one's movements deliberately, it can have the exact opposite effect of increasing the shaking/trembling/ moving from side-to-side, thereby doing exactly the opposite of what one wanted to do.
Parkinson's disease is a terrible affliction, and for someone like Rush Limbaugh to suggest that Michael J.Fox was exaggerating his movements deliberately is not only to show how little Limbaugh obviously knows about the disease, but also to be utterly insensitive to a fellow human being. Coming from Rush Limbaugh who has had his own medical problems, this beggars belief. But perhaps it's a reflection of the insensitivity that Republicans have displayed for quite some time in the body politic. Disagreement politically is one thing; criticizing someone's uncontrollable movements that are the result of an incurable and life-shortening disease is utterly contemptible!
Kevin Geary is an artist and writer. He currently resides in Sedona, AZ.
Flush Lintball has no room to talk! I have no room in my head at all for a man who would condemn ANYONE who has a drug or alcohol problem while taking more OxyContin than most terminally ill cancer patients can handle. How dare he?
Oh, yeah, and when it comes out that he was putting his hand in the artificial heroin jar, he goes on the air and asks forgiveness of his braindead listeners. And the stupid fucks give him that forgiveness. Then he continues on attacking others who are also victims of addiction.
Then, in his true asshole style, he gets busted on his way back from the Dominican Republic with a prescription for Viagra that's not in his name. This incident directly violates terms of a plea agreement he made to keep his fat ass out of prison, and yet he remains free to spew his bile on the air.
I question what (and who) he was doing in the Dominican Republic that required a bottle of Viagra in the first place. I question a legal system that would put a man without so much money who did the same thing away for years, yet seemingly is willing to look the other way for THE Neo-con mouthpiece.
So fuck him! Who does he think he is? He only keeps offending, and that's not a smart thing to do in the present political climate. I hope this particular act was enough to really tip the scales in favor of a Democratic congressional turn-over. It would serve him right.
I'd still like to know why he needed Viagra in the Dominican Republic. It makes me wonder if he's not a kindred spirit of Mark Foley. We all know that the more pious among us are the biggest, most perverse sexual freaks. All I want to know is whether his perversion is for boys or girls...I have my theories! Just let me say, it takes one to know one...y'all can take it from there!
Blessed be!
Pappy
by
Pappy (61 articles, 0 quicklinks, 11 diaries, 860 comments)
on Thursday, October 26, 2006 at 12:26:13 PM
1 comments
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