The Right Strikes Back

In a stunning move, Rush Limbaugh has attacked actor Michael J. Fox for . . . having Parkinson's disease. Yes, I know, it seems ridiculous, but today, Limbaugh blasted Fox for exaggerating the effects of his disease in a recent commercial and called Fox's uncontrolled movement "purely an act". Fox is appearing in ads supporting candidates who support stem-cell research.

Let's set aside the obvious: a pathetic bloviating radio show host attacking a popular actor and genuinely good human being for uncontrollable movements, despite Limbaugh's own disease (drug addiction) causing him to do uncontrollable and, in his case, illegal things. (Perhaps Limbaugh, in his revenge on Fox, should start doing commercials where he uncontrollably pops pain killers and gets illegal prescriptions.)

I really don't understand how the right can sink lower, and yet they keep doing it. Fox suffers from Parkinson's disease, a movement disorder that results in tremors and an inability to make controlled movements. The extra movement that Limbaugh sees in the commercial is actually due to the effects of the drugs Fox takes to treat the disease: specifically, l-DOPA. Over time, l-DOPA leads to the opposite effects of the disease itself and, unfortunately, as time progresses, it is impossible to find a dose of the drug that alleviates Parkinson's symptoms and does not lead to its own motoric side effects.

I watched a very touching interview with Fox several months ago. During the interview, it was clear that he has a lot of uncontrolled movements that, he explained correctly, were due to the drug treatments. He also mentioned that sometimes he delays his next dose of the treatment just to relax. Although that means he cannot engage in any purposeful movements, he finds it to be a little helpful in recovering from the uncontrolled movements he has while on the drug.

So, let's face it: Parkinson's disease is a truly horrible neurodegenerative disorder that slowly robs you of your ability to engage in purposeful movements, while leaving most of your thinking and cognitive abilities intact. What's worse is that our best treatments (l-DOPA) create their own set of problems. To attack Fox for these uncontrolled l-DOPA-induced movements is beyond unsympathetic -- it's simply cold-blooded, cruel, and morally repugnant.

Moreover, Limbaugh didn't even get his criticism right. He said that Fox was either faking or didn't take his medication. On the contrary, Rush, you ignorant idiot, Fox must have taken his medication in order to have those movements. Without the medication, Fox would have had tremors but wouldn't have been able to speak much or move much. Idiot.

Finally, I also take issue with the idea that Fox was suggesting that opposition to stem-cell research was causing him to deteriorate. He doesn't say that in the commercial and he's not that stupid. In fact, I believe that Fox is doing absolutely the right thing if this is what he believes in. The promise of stem cells has always resided most prominently within those diseases, such as Parkinson's, where neurodegeneration has led to a loss of a specific group of cells. In theory, stem cells could be used to replace such cells. Therefore, it's not exactly a stretch to believe that opposition to federal funding of such research is slowing down the potential discoveries of new treatments, especially considering the central role federal funding plays in the biomedical world.