Posted by Charlie Lawrence on October 16, 1997 at 21:05:08:
In Reply to: Waking up the apathetic public:JDF posted by Therese Bujold on October 16, 1997 at 19:29:35:
Ref your text...
"Why then, (and I'm sorry if I'm picking of the JDF, but they ARE our main representative) hasn't there been a little more reality advertising being done for diabetes instead of pictures and ads of happy faces and "no probbbbblem" attitudes. I'm not saying that people should act like invalids, but the organizations who represent us need to use a little 90's "in your face" tactics if they want perceptions to change, and big dollars to come our way."
Charlie sez:
Well - if you're picking on JDF... your picking on me... 'cause
I've been a very involved volunteer for over 22 years... but all that aside... please read on...
Back in the 70's, when we first started publicizing the statistics and complications of diabetes in our local newspaper - I received multiple obscene phone calls and letters to the editor complaining that we we're scaring the kids... and that diabetes is not that bad... blah blah blah...why my aunt Ethel lived to be 99 etc etc...
Yes - JDF (and ADA) both seemed to have sugar coated (uh poor choice of words) the problem in recent years... but according to presentations made at our (JDF) annual conference in June - a new JDF Ad campaign should be hitting the print and airwaves soon (the sooner the better) with a point blank in your face message that there is a problem and that diabetes needs to be cured...
I share your frustrations... but PLEASE - remember when there is
an attack on JDF - with references to JDF not supporting a cure.. and calling the JDF walks - "The Walk to Perpetuate Diabetes"... (not you... but others) we do extreme harm to our COMMON cause... Much of the public would just love an excuse for NOT giving to charities... and any comment taken out of context from this or other forums can have disastrous impact...
If we look at the acknowledgments for a lot of
the basic research that potential transplant proposals are based on ...we will see JDF mention in most of them... we cannot deny that
JDF HAS MADE A DIFFERENCE... (ok - maybe not the decade of the cure.. but according to this forum... basic research has brought us to the brink... now maybe the profit motive will bring us to our final goal... an over the counter cure).
Yes we need to discuss openly... we need to push our reps (at JDF, ADA, NIH etc)... But we also need to be involved in these organizations... I've been dedicating countless hours a week for the past 22 years trying to raise $$$ for research... I have put my faith in the JDF grant application review process... just as I put my faith in God that there will be a cure SOON... It's my faith that keeps me going... and yes I will be very upset if that faith is misplaced.. but I do not believe it is...
Meanwhile... (back to the original topic) we can all start making a difference in public opion of diabetes by responding truthfully to questions,,,, the next time someone asks you how your child is doing... tell them the truth.. I do.. and it brings tears to their (and my) eyes... and support to our cause.
Sorry for the rambling... (if words were dollars,,, there'd be enough here for a transplant project)...
Cheers :)
Charlie