RIP Betty Ford

[kaytodd]

I am not sure this is the proper place for this thread. I did not want it to get lost in the massive Current Events thread. As a young woman, she was a model for the Ford Agency who was frequently in front of the camera, so here it is (check out pictures of her as a young woman!).

A woman deserving of all our respect and admiration. In 1978, her family staged an intervention and she agreed to go into difficult and lengthy treatment for alcohol and drug addiction which was ultimately successful. And then she did something extraordinary that has saved countless lives. She spoke publicly and candidly about her addictions and treatment, making it a point to tell addicts they suffer from a disease for which they can be treated. I do not know if she was the first celebrity to speak publicly about their personal experiences with addiction and treatment but she is the first one I am aware of. And she was a celebrity from the world of GOP politics, not the entertainment world. I am sure some of her husband's fellow Republicans and their families were the type to see addiction as strictly a character issue and assumed Gerald was mortified. But he frequently declared his pride and support in Betty's work to help fellow addicts. And putting their well respected name on the California clinic that has saved so many lives was another move that helped addicts come forward and get treatment. The success and fame of the Betty Ford Clinic spurred the opening of similar clinics all over the U.S. Work done at places like these has not only helped individuals overcome addictions but has led to research to help us understand the nature and causes of addiction and learn more effective forms of treatment. I have to assume that Betty's courage in going public with something that most people, especially celebrities, hid with shame was the major reason all this happened.

She did something similar with breast cancer. She was diagnosed with breast cancer and had both breasts removed several weeks after Jerry became president. As she would later with her addiction problems, she spoke openly about her masectomy and about the importance of women doing regular breast self-examination (again, I am unaware of any celebrity doing this before Betty). This was 1974. A female celebrity talking publicly about how women should regularly examine their breasts led to smirks and obvious jokes. But we know a lot of lives were saved because they followed Betty's advice.

I think in both situations, her addiction and breast cancer, she knew her position as First Lady would draw attention to her experiences. She knew it was important that people deal with these problems honestly and positively and that they need not be ashamed of them. A lot of us are indebted to her.

Before and during the Reaganite takeover of the GOP, she was openly pro-choice on abortion, a feminist, and a supporter of gun control. The right wing of the GOP strongly criticized her for speaking publicly on these issues and asked Jerry to muzzle her. But her approval rating while she was First Lady and afterwards was always very high. She deserved the support. God Bless her.