Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's interesting how some people have zero interest in or compassion for the plight of others until they personally suffer a crisis. Glad his baby is fine, and glad he's using his platform to raise awareness of the critical need for access to healthcare...but I wish everyone would simply support this commonsense approach to meeting basic human needs.

Agreed, I wish so many people didn't have to "re-evaluate" once an issue personally effected them. I have no doubts Kimmel is a nice guy, but worrying about health insurance and pre-existing conditions should be a concern for 100% of the population.

Anonymous wrote:It's interesting how some people have zero interest in or compassion for the plight of others until they personally suffer a crisis. Glad his baby is fine, and glad he's using his platform to raise awareness of the critical need for access to healthcare...but I wish everyone would simply support this commonsense approach to meeting basic human needs.

Anonymous wrote:Of course we welcome advocates when they get on board. Of course we applaud Kimmel for using his platform to raise awareness.

Just lamenting the fact that it sometimes takes personal impact for people to get involved. Think about how different our world might be if everyone just got it from the get go. Think about how different our world might be if people used their platforms and resources for social change all the time. That's all.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very touching, but I can't help but think if a professional female host had spent that much time/emotion on the same topic, she would have been permanently pigeonholed professionally.

I hate that that comes to mind for me, but it's always really hard for me to see such significant differences in reaction when men and women do exactly the same actions in the workplace.

Glad his son is going to be okay. How terrifying.

I disagree, I think Ellen could easily get away with someone like this.

Please don't play the woman card, he's a parent plain and dimple and used his platform to raise awareness. I've been watching him for awhile and he doesn't shy away from controversy and saying what needs to be said while interjecting humor. To the previous poster who mentioned it's not until x happens that someone cares... yeah welcome to human nature it's called walk a mile in someone's shoes and no one is immune to it.

Wrong. Many of us are able to see past our own needs to understand why it's critically important for everyone to have access to healthcare (and other human rights). In fact, a bunch of us actually dedicate our careers to advocate for others.

Again, I'm not throwing rocks at him. As I said earlier, I just wish everyone would do a better job of recognizing these things before something happens to them. No clue why that's a controversial suggestion.

I'm someone who has dedicated my career to advocating and working with and on behalf of people with a certain issue. I'm also the parent of a young adult with significant mental illness, and I lost someone important to me to HIV. Those 3 issues are the ones that I know the most about, I do the most advocacy about, and I donate the most money too.

But there are many other issues out there that I know are equally important. Homelessness, clean water in the developing world, certain environmental issues, refugee issues, etc . . . I value these things, I take then into account when I vote, and I might give some money towards an issue here or there, but even though I acknowledge that they are very important, I don't understand them to the same degree that I understand my three primary issues, and I don't have the time or money to support them at the same level. Is that because I think that preventing perinatal HIV transmission in Africa is more important than the safety of refugees? No, it's just that I can't do everything. Do I believe that young adults with schizophrenia deserve less or more of our support than newborns with life threatening heart issues? No, it's just that I have the first hand knowledge to make the most impact on one of those issues.

In 2 minutes of googling, I found out that less than a year ago, Kimmel held an event to advocate for and raise money for homeless youth. That's a pretty important cause, in my book. To judge him because, out of all the things he advocated for, he didn't spend enough time on pediatric heart conditions, is absurd.

I'm not judging him. I'm glad he did it.

Hosting an event isn't the same as using his tv show. Had he merely hosted an event about congenital heart defects and healthcare, nobody would be talking about it. The clip has gone viral, and there's a media frenzy. By simply using his platform, he will make an impact on the national discourse. That's huge! Imagine if others did the same thing? I'm not saying *he* needs to tackle every issue head on. Although I do wish all people with a platform would do something...anything...publicly (not at private galas, although those do a decent job of raising funds for good programs---I know because I regularly attend them due to my advocacy job and pro bono work).

But what if Jimmy or others had used their platform before the election? What if his baby had been delivered in September? Celebrities do have a platform, and they can have an impact. Glad he's making an impact, but wish it would have happened sooner.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very touching, but I can't help but think if a professional female host had spent that much time/emotion on the same topic, she would have been permanently pigeonholed professionally.

I hate that that comes to mind for me, but it's always really hard for me to see such significant differences in reaction when men and women do exactly the same actions in the workplace.

Glad his son is going to be okay. How terrifying.

I disagree, I think Ellen could easily get away with someone like this.

Please don't play the woman card, he's a parent plain and dimple and used his platform to raise awareness. I've been watching him for awhile and he doesn't shy away from controversy and saying what needs to be said while interjecting humor. To the previous poster who mentioned it's not until x happens that someone cares... yeah welcome to human nature it's called walk a mile in someone's shoes and no one is immune to it.

Wrong. Many of us are able to see past our own needs to understand why it's critically important for everyone to have access to healthcare (and other human rights). In fact, a bunch of us actually dedicate our careers to advocate for others.

Again, I'm not throwing rocks at him. As I said earlier, I just wish everyone would do a better job of recognizing these things before something happens to them. No clue why that's a controversial suggestion.

I'm someone who has dedicated my career to advocating and working with and on behalf of people with a certain issue. I'm also the parent of a young adult with significant mental illness, and I lost someone important to me to HIV. Those 3 issues are the ones that I know the most about, I do the most advocacy about, and I donate the most money too.

But there are many other issues out there that I know are equally important. Homelessness, clean water in the developing world, certain environmental issues, refugee issues, etc . . . I value these things, I take then into account when I vote, and I might give some money towards an issue here or there, but even though I acknowledge that they are very important, I don't understand them to the same degree that I understand my three primary issues, and I don't have the time or money to support them at the same level. Is that because I think that preventing perinatal HIV transmission in Africa is more important than the safety of refugees? No, it's just that I can't do everything. Do I believe that young adults with schizophrenia deserve less or more of our support than newborns with life threatening heart issues? No, it's just that I have the first hand knowledge to make the most impact on one of those issues.

In 2 minutes of googling, I found out that less than a year ago, Kimmel held an event to advocate for and raise money for homeless youth. That's a pretty important cause, in my book. To judge him because, out of all the things he advocated for, he didn't spend enough time on pediatric heart conditions, is absurd.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It's very touching, but I can't help but think if a professional female host had spent that much time/emotion on the same topic, she would have been permanently pigeonholed professionally.

I hate that that comes to mind for me, but it's always really hard for me to see such significant differences in reaction when men and women do exactly the same actions in the workplace.

Glad his son is going to be okay. How terrifying.

I disagree, I think Ellen could easily get away with someone like this.

Please don't play the woman card, he's a parent plain and dimple and used his platform to raise awareness. I've been watching him for awhile and he doesn't shy away from controversy and saying what needs to be said while interjecting humor. To the previous poster who mentioned it's not until x happens that someone cares... yeah welcome to human nature it's called walk a mile in someone's shoes and no one is immune to it.

Wrong. Many of us are able to see past our own needs to understand why it's critically important for everyone to have access to healthcare (and other human rights). In fact, a bunch of us actually dedicate our careers to advocate for others.

Again, I'm not throwing rocks at him. As I said earlier, I just wish everyone would do a better job of recognizing these things before something happens to them. No clue why that's a controversial suggestion.

Anonymous wrote:You guys are missing the point. Google Jimmy Kimmel on healthcare. His remarks are prompting a media storm...too many links to post. One article says his remarks will put an end to the Republicans' effort to kill obamacare. That's all good.

But what if Jimmy or others had used their platform before the election? What if his baby had been delivered in September? Celebrities do have a platform, and they can have an impact. Glad he's making an impact, but wish it would have happened sooner.

The reality is most of you were just simply interested in that clip as "pain porn." Aww, so sweet...Jimmy got choked up and made me cry. That's fine, but it would be better if everyone realized how ridiculous the current system of haves and have nots is AND did something about it.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course we welcome advocates when they get on board. Of course we applaud Kimmel for using his platform to raise awareness.

Just lamenting the fact that it sometimes takes personal impact for people to get involved. Think about how different our world might be if everyone just got it from the get go. Think about how different our world might be if people used their platforms and resources for social change all the time. That's all.

It sounds exhausting, all people using their platforms for all social change all the time. I'm sorry, I do not agree with you.

Anonymous wrote:Of course we welcome advocates when they get on board. Of course we applaud Kimmel for using his platform to raise awareness.

Just lamenting the fact that it sometimes takes personal impact for people to get involved. Think about how different our world might be if everyone just got it from the get go. Think about how different our world might be if people used their platforms and resources for social change all the time. That's all.