I draw a distiction between the man and what afflictions he suffers. Sometimes the affliction raises their stature to some people . I think Steven Hawking would be a great physicist without his illness but the perseverence of the man is worthy of great respect. When Christopher Reeves was paralyzed we all felt the pathos of his struggle. Some of us re experienced his disappointment when Bush closed the door on stem cell research that could have promised a healing alternative for Mr. Reeves.

I have had periods of deafness and have complete sympathy and understanding for anyone facing the challenge. I did previously know of Rush's musical hobby and found that personally sad. But the man himself exists by pushing on the innate inertia of hate until his ratings go up or someone throws a bomb. It is that man I have no sympathy for. The man who is in the process of losing his hearing from some undisclosed ailment I do have sympathy for.