| Dear Fox News
In the matter of the heated on-air exchanges between Bill O'Reilly and
George Will over O'Reilly's latest work of fiction, Killing Reagan,
O'Lielly is being as dishonest as he was over hearing de Mohrenschildt's
suicide shot, seeing nuns shot in El Salvador, seeing conflict in the
Falklands, etc. His "journalism" is as shoddy as his character. Reagan
did not get Alzheimer's while in office, much less spend his days watching
soap operas on television as O'Lielly so tawdrily claims. I'm sure these
claims will come as news to Gorbachev, with whom Reagan negotiated so
resolutely during this time, holding firm to his Strategic Defence Initiative,
sounding the death knell for the Soviet Union in the process.
Here is Reagan in 1992, four years after leaving office, at which point,
according to O'Lielly, the former President would have been in the mid-to-late
stages of the disease. In fact, Reagan is displaying no signs at all
of any such thing, delivering a 25-minute speech that is exemplary in
its wit, passion, coherence, fluency, skillful selective emphasis, etc:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WxL3OU1dwmI
Two years later, in November, 1994, six years after Reagan left office,
five Mayo Clinic doctors announced:
"Over the past 12 months, we began to notice from President Reagan's
test results symptoms indicating the possibility of early stage Alzheimer's
disease. Additional testing and an extensive observation over the past
weeks have led us to conclude that President Reagan is entering the
early stages of this disease," [Bold mine]
Reagan also announced the diagnosis himself, in a handwritten note to
the American people. There was one crossing-out:
My Fellow Americans,
I have recently been told that I am one of the millions of Americans
who will be afflicted with Alzheimer’s Disease.
Upon learning this news, Nancy and I had to decide whether as private
citizens we would keep this a private matter or whether we would make
this news known in a public way.
In the past Nancy suffered from breast cancer and I had my cancer surgeries.
We found through our open disclosures we were able to raise public awareness.
We were happy that as a result many more people underwent testing.
They were treated in early stages and able to return to normal, healthy
lives.
So now, we feel it is important to share it with you. In opening
our hearts, we hope this might promote greater awareness of this condition.
Perhaps it will encourage a clearer understanding of the individuals
and families who are affected by it.
At the moment I feel just fine. I intend to live the remainder
of the years God gives me on this earth doing the things I have always
done. I will continue to share life’s journey with my beloved
Nancy and my family. I plan to enjoy the great outdoors and stay
in touch with my friends and supporters.
Unfortunately, as Alzheimer’s Disease progresses, the family often bears
a heavy burden. I only wish there was some way I could spare Nancy
from this painful experience. When the time comes I am confident
that with your help she will face it with faith and courage.
In closing let me thank you, the American people for giving me the great
honor of allowing me to serve as your President. When the Lord
calls me home, whenever that may be, I will leave with the greatest
love for this country of ours and eternal optimism for its future.
I now begin the journey that will lead me into the sunset of my life.
I know that for America there will always be a bright dawn ahead.
Thank you, my friends. May God always bless you.
Average life expectancy after diagnosis is 6-8 years. Reagan lived 10
more years. Had he had Alzheimer's in 1987, as O'Lielly claims, he could
not possibly have lived till 2004.
O'Lielly is a tawdry, tabloid liar, pure and simple. Fox News should
not stand behind him, no matter how successful his lies have made him
or them. Kudos to George Will for calling out this lying, shouting,
bullying guttersnipe.
|
