Janet Dafoe - The Whitney Plea

I haven't got the energy to even think about this. I hope Francis Collins has and that his thinking results in much better funding for ME research.

 

The video is okay in my mind. It's motive seems genuine, and although not entirely as I would have done it, I retweeted it this morning after watching it. I didn't notice any Jesus reference (but haven't watched again to look for it).

I agree that linking the Whitney plea video with the petition doesn't seem right.

Was it just sent at the same time (like a separate action sent on the same day)?
Or, were the two things actually actively linked? I'm not happy with any active linking..

I admit when I first saw Janet's video suggesting folk submit these plea videos, I thought the idea was quite powerful. I became concerned when I realised others were reading the gestures as a plea to be released from life itself. Also that some people were reading the hands together gesture as a religious prayer (For the record, I didn't, I just saw it as "Please"). Anyway, at that point I decided it was probably not such a great idea. Yet the compilation video works quite well, and having tried to produce material myself, I understand how difficult it can be to get everything exactly right. So, to me anyway, the effort still appreciated.

But not when linked with a petition that gathered signatures, from people who didn't know the Whitney Plea video might be linked to the petition.

Edit to add: Having said that, I've no desire to remove my signature. We are all just ordinary people doing the best we can.

 

I reread the MEAction page, and it does seem like the video was sent separately.
The people at MEAction may like to clarify, but it seems clear the signatures are on the letter and the
video is a separate deal.

The folks at MEAction are pretty smart, and not a remotely a "manipulative" bunch imo. I think those were two separate actions.

 

If so that's good to hear. And perhaps appeals in two different ways at the same time.

 

For me there are two issues

1. Is the Whitney plea. I didn't want to participate in that and didn't. OTOH I don't feel so strongly as others that it's awful. It's an advocacy tool, and not all advocacy tools are wise etc ( I do think #MillionsMissing, #CanyouseeME now? And the shoes are great by the way) But some people obviously wanted to advocate in this way, and who is to say they shouldn't for themselves?

2. The letter to Francis Collins. I am ok with Francis Collins being spoken to with passion and power but I think we should all have the right to agree what is going to be said. I signed the letter but next time, I'll want to be a lot clearer about what I'm signing.

I don't think the two should have been linked, and respect people who are troubled about the seeming religious aspect and suicide interpretation.

So more communication needed.
I send my good wishes for a speedy recovery to Janet Dafoe.

EDIT: crossposted withthe post saying that the two were sent separately.

 

I just watched the linked video that was sent to Francis Collins, and it brought tears to my eyes.

Well done MEAction!

I was surprised to see that I was actually in the video as part of the crowd at Millions Missing in Santa Monica. I looked emotionally moved at the event--which accurately captured how I felt.

Bill

https://www.meaction.net/2018/05/25/thousands-sign-letter-to-francis-collins/

 

There is a link at the bottom to see the PDF sent to collins. It's powerful, with great photos from around the world of MM, the letter, and the long list of signatories (which somehow omitted mine )
So rest easy, signers, the video is not associated with the signatures.

 

I'm pretty certain I've signed every petition going.

<Yet my signature doesn't seem to be there either.> Correction: My signature is there - just not in the main UK alphabetical bit, as I apparently entered Co. Down, so when I searched on down there I was after all.

The pictures are good!

 

I am not resting easy on a technicality..... it’s got the same t shirt, same photos the same person it’s addressed to featured in the video and it’s on the same web page as the petition on the MEAction website....sorry it’s the same thing.

Unfortunately my signature definitely is on it and I’m still not happy, but I’ve said my piece and obviously won’t be involved with any of that shower from now on.
Shutting up now

 

The PDF is terrific and must have taken a heck of a lot of work.

 

My understanding is that Janet Dafoe is currently in the hospital after having a cancerous tumor removed from her kidney.

Bill

 

I'm not happy with any possible link with the prayer hand video, but I agree with @Sasha.

 

I wish her a speedy recovery. It must be even more stressful as she ''ll be worrying and wondering how Whitney is while she can't be there for him.

I don't like the prayer hand, it's nothing personal against Janet. It's not even the clip with the Dafoe's and Ron Davis (who I admire). I just have strong feelings about the prayer hands.

Edited - hit post too soon!

 

Because I could not find it under "CA - United States," I thought my signature had been omitted, too. However, I found it among those on pages 90-100 (pages 65-75 in Abode Acrobat), which is where they listed the US signatories who did not provide their state or zip code. Of course, this would only be a possible explanation if you had entered "United States" as your country.

 

Thank you, @Forbin, I am on there after all. I had a hard time navigating all the different alphabetized categories, and had done a command-F which yielded nothing (turns out the document is unsearchable but it doesn't alert you to that.)
Thanks to you I found myself, so to speak.

 

Hi @arewenearlythereyet You are entitled to your view, and I really don't like the video clip myself and would prefer that it wasn't associated with something I signed, but I think you have made a stretch too far in your interpretation. You don't know that this video is intentionally a blatant appeal to christians, that it is definitely being used that way, and that Janet's choice of photo was intentional to look like Christ. I'm uncomfortable with that suggestion or accusation though I'm not a fan of Janet's.

I think she is a mother of a very sick person who is presenting symbolism that's meaningful to her family for the wider community to use. I'd very much prefer it stayed in her family for a few reasons but I don't see some agenda to target christians or exploit christianity or blindside atheists or any other strange intentional shenanigans which your post seems to suggest. If I've misunderstood and that's not what you meant please put me right.

I'm sorry you feel exploited, and I respect that you hate it. I just wanted to address that one point.

edits - clarity, grammar

 

I know I said I would shut up, and this will be the last message on the subject before I ignore the thread, but just for clarification, you are right this is speculation on my part. Here are the facts I used to make that assumption/assertion

• This is an awareness campaign
• The objective is to build a movement with visual devices and messages to attract sympathy for our plight and seek funding for more research
• All marketing campaigns target specific groups of people with specific messages
• Religion (Particulary Christians), is a very important part of USA election campaigning not like in the UK where it’s hardly ever mentioned. This is a large group to target activity at
• MEAction have a lot of experience in appealing to target groups through their previous campaigns and this year was clearly strategic on a number of fronts
• The leader of MEAction has studied politics and is more than aware of this approach
• Janet Dafoe is a psycologist who will do anything to get funding for her husbands work and has manipulated patients using her sons condition to large platforms before

I am convinced that this is about deliberately portraying sick people in a certain way to get a message across to a certain group to get funding. And we know that whether it’s true and representative or not is a secondary concern for some people as long as they get the money. That’s fine if they want to do that ...and I’m sure a load of people will want to trust others to get on with it and just think about a mother and son relationship etc. That’s up to them and is totally fine by me.

It’s the manipulation of not attaching the video to the signature campaign that is the issue for me. That is what has really pissed me off.

Trouble is for me I don’t believe in God so praying to someone or even praying to be taken to heaven definitely does not appeal to me and I don’t think it would be viewed as anything but a religious sign by a lot of people outside the target group (and quite cultish). I would not have taken the risk of putting my real name associated with this had I known. The video really turns my stomach for a number of reasons.

This is not what I want my actual name and address to be associated with, so I will be opting out of any further activity with MEAction with the GDPR thing and spending my energy and donation money somewhere else (bio bank probably). I wasted a lot of time and effort on this so I don’t want to waste any more time on something that has clearly gone down a road of bad taste and misrepresentation....and poor manipulative marketing.

I’ve really had my say now so won’t be responding to tags or taking up any more time on the subject ..sorry

 

@arewenearlythereyet I understand. We'll just disagree on that aspect of intention. I don't like being associated with the video either.

edit to add last sentence

 

According to this article, Whitney studied Buddhism in India and Nepal. While there, he developed stomach pain and other GI symptoms. He came down with ME a couple of years later.

I mention this because, in India, the "prayer hands" gesture is called "Namaskar Mudra," where, combined with a slight bow, it is often used as a greeting. The term is the root of "namaste" which can be translated as "salutations to you," or "I bow to you." It's a gesture of deferential respect. I could see it being construed as the opening to an entreaty and akin to "please." When one prays to God, one is essentially saying "please," but saying "please" is not always a religious gesture.

I'm just thinking that the hand gesture could be more connected to his time in India than it is to Christian prayer.

 

I feel so, too. I just have a such a negative feeling when watching that video, and it's not the compassion I feel for Whitney - for whom I have so much compassion.

I also agree on the other points you made.

Although I think it's definitely ok to use politics for "our cause", I don't want to see the on-going conflict between certain religious groups fueled. I also don't want religious things mixed with ME. I don't want that people link ME with cults (it's not important there is no cult; it's important what people take with them when watching the video). I don't like religions; most often, they have to be mistrusted. And I don't like - never liked - the religious emphasis in the USA.

I am not sure if Francis Collins is so pro-religion; amongst scientists, my impression was always the number of religious people was comparatively small.

I am not sure I shall give my signature for ME Action again. I feel played on. I don't like that.