Politics, Disability and John Fetterman

https://www.nytimes.com/2022/10/18/opinion/letters/john-fetterman-disability-politics.html

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To the Editor:

Re “Adapting to Disability Isn’t a Crutch. It’s the Future,” by David M. Perry (Opinion guest essay, Oct. 14):

John Fetterman is refreshingly real, but I wasn’t that invested in his campaign before. I am now. It’s not just about electing one man; it is about proving that vile ableist attacks don’t work. If we do let them work, stigma in and outside politics will increase.

There are many Americans with disabilities and accommodations who see ourselves in John Fetterman’s recovery and the bullying he receives. We are sick of having our competence and value questioned by people who are willfully, maliciously ignorant.

I suffered brain damage as a child that made it difficult if not impossible for me to function in school and in the workplace without accommodations. All too often, the reaction of teachers and employers has been ableist and undermining.

The feeling of having one’s disabilities cynically weaponized against them or misunderstood in ways that are unintentionally cruel and hurtful is familiar to many Americans. Partisan considerations aside, electing John Fetterman would send a powerful message.

It’s not about lowering expectations. I’m better at what I do than many without disabilities because I’ve had to develop resilience and learn to work harder and develop coping tools. I’m confident that John Fetterman will be a better senator than Dr. Mehmet Oz ever could be.

Eric ShapiroQueens

To the Editor:

David M. Perry’s advocacy for disabled patients in the marketplace is laudable. However, his argument does not roll over to disability in public office holders — particularly when it comes to the results of brain damage from trauma, stroke, tumor or disease.

The brain is the unquestioned organ of mind, communication, decision making and moral judgment. Any deficits of function can affect critical behaviors of those afflicted. One has only to watch John Fetterman’s speeches to understand that he has a neurological condition that would affect his intellectual and motor functions as a U.S. senator if he is elected.

Why not let the facts speak for themselves to protect the public good from disabled candidates and have them appear before a board and be approved or rejected for candidacy on a case-by-case basis?

The comparison of the present situation with F.D.R.’s polio-based infirmities should raise the point that poliomyelitis does not affect the brain’s intellectual functions. F.D.R. was able to hide his impairment by keeping his wasted, weak legs out of the public eye. That is not possible for Mr. Fetterman.

Robert S. AprilNew YorkThe writer is a neurologist.

To the Editor:

David M. Perry’s otherwise valuable guest essay unfortunately further muddles the “fraught” topic of mental health vis-à-vis candidates for public office. Yes, many mental health professionals publicly stated that Donald Trump was mentally unfit to serve as president (“The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump,” published in 2017).

But many of us avoided repeating the mistakes of the infamous Fact magazine article that Mr. Perry appropriately cites (“1,189 Psychiatrists Say Goldwater Is Psychologically Unfit to Be President!”). We did not allow ourselves to be silenced by the unscientific Goldwater Rule — which says it is unethical to offer an opinion without examining a person — but attempted to caution the public that Mr. Trump’s thin skin, grandiosity, vengefulness and inability to collaborate with those whose views conflicted with his made him temperamentally unfit to serve in the highest office in our country.

Surely that is not being insensitive to disability (which Mr. Trump ironically was), but rather using our professional experience and judgment to identify personality traits which, as the Jan. 6 committee’s hearings have clearly shown, made him, to cite one example, incapable of protecting the Capitol, members of Congress and the peace officers who tried to shield them.

Leonard L. GlassNewton, Mass.The writer is a psychiatrist and psychoanalyst who contributed a chapter to “The Dangerous Case of Donald Trump.”

To the Editor:

I am a disabled physician, so David M. Perry’s essay deeply resonated with me. After practicing, I continued as the chair of a large hospital department, acquired a second postgraduate degree and served as a chief medical officer of an acute care hospital, all while legally blind. After retiring, I still teach, serve on boards, write and take courses using adaptive software.

Mehmet Oz, as a cardiothoracic surgeon, surely managed many patients recovering from strokes. I suspect that he encouraged these individuals to pursue their interests, rather than question whether any disabling residual symptoms would limit their future effectiveness or cognitive skills. That would be the appropriate behavior of a compassionate and caring physician.

Raising doubts about John Fetterman’s candidacy based on his disability is both hypocritical and dishonest. Instead, I would argue that the qualities displayed by many disabled persons — motivation, adaptation and resilience — are well suited for a potential senator.

Dean R. WassermanPlymouth, Mass.

To the Editor:

This year, nearly 160,000 people, most of them Venezuelan, have crossed the treacherous Darién Gap, between Colombia and Panama, on foot, in search of a better life (front page, Oct. 8).

As someone living in Costa Rica, I see this humanitarian crisis unfold every day. Groups of migrants are pushed by desperation and pulled by the American dream.

But that dream was suddenly dashed when the Biden administration tightened immigration policies (news article, Oct. 13), leaving Venezuelans scrambling to figure out their plans. Many faced the reality that their journeys may have come to an end.

The U.S. has invested billions of dollars to help Latin American countries host Venezuelans, yet it’s not readily apparent how this money is being deployed on the ground. As governments fail to address the human suffering, citizens are left to pick up the pieces. Women’s groups are at the forefront of this effort, taking it upon themselves to provide food, shelter and legal resources.

Just the other day, I helped a migrant family get shelter for two nights at a hotel. Their future beyond that is unknown, but they have sacrificed too much to turn back now.

Rebecca FriendlySanta Ana, Costa Rica

To the Editor:

Re “He Chose to Die. She Hit Record” (Arts & Leisure, Oct. 9):

My husband died in the 1990s, and as he was dying, he expressed his desire to die on his own terms. I understand the pain of losing a loved one — and I also know what it’s like to watch someone demand respect and autonomy in the face of death.

Ondi Timoner’s documentary “Last Flight Home” captures that duality. I am grateful to Ondi for her activism in advocating for death with dignity legislation in New York. As we continue to advocate for legislation like the Medical Aid in Dying Act, we must highlight stories like Ondi and her father’s.

We all get one death, and we deserve a world where dying people have options in the face of suffering.

Peg SandeenPortland, Ore.The writer is C.E.O. of Death With Dignity.