(Junior Member)

09/04/11 08:12 AM

Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

"Half persons," "mistakes" who "came out wrong," captives to "steel imprisonments," if "you're a cripple in a wheelchair and you don't want pity, stay in the house!" While tomorrow marks the 21st anniversary of the late Harriet McBryde Johnson's first Charleston, SC protest of the Jerry Lewis MDA Labor Day Telethon, the stigma fostering mind which uttered those words is gone. Jerry has lost his kids.

The question now is, will tonight's six hour Lewis-less MDA Labor Day Telethon be cause for celebration or continuing protest? Are telethons inherently dehumanizing or can the MDA raise money by fostering a sense of solidarity, that we're all connected, that at some point in our lives we all need help?

Our group will be watching closely and doing its best to keep an open mind. Tonight's telethon is from 6 to midnight. In that we lost Harriet 39 months ago, we'd very much appreciate reading your thoughts and insights about tonight's program. Sincere thanks in advance.

John R. Polito
Charleston, SC

Last year's 20th annual MDA Telethon protest group

(Member)

09/04/11 08:41 AM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

They do more good than harm.

(Junior Member)

09/04/11 08:55 AM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

Tomorrow morning bright and early I'll be making a celebration or protest sign which will greet all who pass the intersection of Market and King streets in downtown Charleston. Right now the best alternatives I've come up with are:

1. Thanks MDA for dumping Jerry! Well done last night!
2. Jerry is gone but MDA Telethon pity party remains!

Your thoughts and ideas on more meaningful and hopefully shorter signs (passing motorists don't have long to read - the fewer words the better) would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

John

The late Laura Hershey's "Poster Child for MDA" YouTube video clip

Robin, Harriet and Laura

(Member)

09/04/11 09:41 AM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

Originally Posted By: JohnRPolito

Your thoughts and ideas on more meaningful and hopefully shorter signs (passing motorists don't have long to read - the fewer words the better) would be greatly appreciated.

You could make up a sign that has your name with how much money you have raised for MDA and then put Jerry's name with how much money he has raised the past four decades. Short, sweet, and to the point. Oh wait, that might run counter your "protest" goals and objectives.

(Member)

09/04/11 12:09 PM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

How much has jerry help raise. how much have you raised johnrpolita or how much money has people put back in their pocket because of your signs and protests, be proud! <sarcasm off> how often do you or those with md turn down $$$ from mda?

(Member)

09/05/11 11:07 AM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

No major uproar...must mean it's all good after last night.

Wonder what the signs will say next year?

(Member)

09/06/11 01:32 PM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

Originally Posted By: ParaDude

No major uproar...must mean it's all good after last night.

Wonder what the signs will say next year?

did it happen already?

(Member)

09/06/11 04:06 PM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

Originally Posted By: JohnRPolito

The question now is, will tonight's six hour Lewis-less MDA Labor Day Telethon be cause for celebration or continuing protest? Are telethons inherently dehumanizing or can the MDA raise money by fostering a sense of solidarity, that we're all connected, that at some point in our lives we all need help?

I would say "Yes. Most definitely" as it appears more money was raised this year than ever before.

However, don't ever doubt the truth behind Jerry's words, if "you're a cripple in a wheelchair and you don't want pity, stay in the house!" Sad, but true peeps, a majority of society looks upon us with pity. If the money they raise actually goes to help those with muscular disabilities, I believe it's a wonderful thing!

Years ago we were discussing Jerry & his kids on this message board and I said something like 'it is a good thing unless most of the $$ raised goes to administration, etc". Someone looked it up & the admin costs for the association weren't a huge precentage of the total collected. But being the hard-head that I am, I was still verbably beating up on Jerry Lewis. Our dearly departed "I" simply asked "flicka, how much good is enough for you?"

Wow. 'I's' remark made me take a complete 180 in my perception on the MDA & Jerry Lewis. I love it when someone can say something so simple and make my brain take such a huge leap in thoughts.

(Member)

09/07/11 03:12 PM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

*sight* i miss "i". we had some good conversations over in F&R.

(Member)

09/16/11 10:24 AM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

Well...the original poster talked a great "pre-game" but is obviously sadly lacking on his "post-game" reporting. Too bad, I would have liked hearing their groups thoughts on this latest telethon.

(Junior Member)

11/07/11 05:46 PM

Re: Will MDA telethon provoke celebration or protest?

78.2 cents goes to us "kids" and the rest goes to keeping the offices open and the organization running.

I was a Firefighter before i developed Muscular Dystrophy myself i always worked on the "Fill the Boot for MDA" campaigns every year ,and as a Family thing we donated to MDA as well.

Then in 2004 i was diagnosed with ALS (that was wrong because i had two diseases appear at one time and together they mimic ALS perfectly) and i totally freaked and fired my Neurologist and got a better one who figured out the two disease thing and was able to prove it by having a genetic test done that they wanted a check guaranteeing payment for 25,000$ which had it not been for the MDA giving me a grant to pay for that i would never have known the truth about what i had.

The MDA is a great organization and it helps us "kids" from diagnosis till death .Even before my own "joining of the organization i respected it and now being on the "inside" all that much More.