Re: Kate vs. Diana

[Don <fastslow@idt.net>]

At 2:44 PM -0700 9-17-97, Leslie Vermeer wrote:
>>On Wed, 17 Sep 1997, Don wrote:
>>
>>
>>> >>Did you know that when she took her sons to see AIDS patients that this
>>> >>paragon of virtue told her sons the people had cancer...not AIDS? What do
>>> >>you think about that?
>>>
>>>
>>> It's REALLY true. During one of the tributes to her life, I heard the words
>>> directly from her mouth, on screen.
>>
>>What difference does it make what Dianna told her boys?  I don't find
>>this at all shocking or in the least bad parenting.  Parents often tell
>>lies to shield their children from things that they think the children
>>aren't ready for yet.  Apparently Dianna didn't think the boys were ready
>>for this.  I wouldn't want to have to expose my children to any more pain
>>and hurt then was absolutely necessary at whatever age they happened to be.
>>
>>D.
>
>Yes, but why turn AIDS into cancer, when they're both horrible diseases
>with the same outcome? Is cancer a preferable thing to die from? I think
>what is being questioned here is the politics of euphemism: replacing
>something offensive to one's sensibilities with something else, presumably
>less offensive. Now, why AIDS should be less offensive than cancer, other
>than because of lingering, biased assumptions about its genesis and
>transmission, I can't say. But I can speculate - and I think this is why
>Don objects.

Exactly.

And while on one hand she preaches acceptance of people with AIDS, she
hypocritcally doesn't find those afflicted to be acceptable for her sons.

What's the big deal about sayings, "These people have AIDS," compared to
"These people have cancer"?

Do you think Kate would do that?  <---mandatory Kate content

- Don