This American Life

Broadcast May 18 to May 20

Broadcast May 18 to May 20

Sarah Koenig here. After our show "Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde" aired, we got some emails from people about the way I discussed Huntington's Disease in the story. Just to remind you: The story was about a beloved family doctor, Vince Gilmer, who brutally killed his own father. By the end of the story — spoiler coming now — we figure out that Vince has Huntington's Disease, a genetic disorder that can cause physical and psychological symptoms.

The emails pointed out that a listener could walk away from the story believing that Huntington’s Disease led to Vince Gilmer’s violent behavior — that it contributed to the murder. We did not intend to draw that connection. Because I can't say for certain how, or if, Huntington's was affecting Vince at the time.

Michelle Meyer, a fellow at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at Harvard Law School, wrote to us: "Although the occasional incidents involving people with HD [Huntington’s Disease] who kill themselves or others make for splashy news and riveting human interest stories, the fact is that the vast majority of people with HD are not dangerous to themselves or others."

It’s a sensitive topic, listeners pointed out, because of the history of discrimination against people with the disease. Meyer continued:

"People with HD are instead much more likely to be the victims of violence. They were burned at the stake as witches in Salem and sent to the gas chambers during the Holocaust, for instance. Less dramatically, they are routinely turned away from public accommodations or arrested because their chorea is mistaken for drunkenness. Many who are at risk for HD choose not to be tested, not only because they don't want to know, but also, in many cases, because they fear the consequences of an HD diagnosis for their employment and insurance status … on top of the risk that others will respond to them with irrational fears and prejudices."

So to repeat: I did not mean to imply that Huntington's is what made Vince do this violent thing. Or to imply that he’s not responsible for what he did, because of Huntington's. I regret that I didn't make that clearer in the story. If we rebroadcast the story, we'll correct that.

Sarah Koenig here. After our show "Dr. Gilmer and Mr. Hyde" aired, we got some emails about the way I discussed Huntington's Disease in the story. Just to remind you: The story was about a beloved family doctor, Vince Gilmer, who brutally killed his own father. By the end of the story — spoiler coming now — we figure out that Vince has Huntington's Disease, a genetic disorder that can cause physical and psychological symptoms.

The emails pointed out that a listener could walk away from the story believing that Huntington’s Disease led to Vince Gilmer’s violent behavior — that it contributed to the murder. We did not intend to draw that connection. Because I can't say for certain how, or if, Huntington's was affecting Vince at the time.

Michelle Meyer, a fellow at the Petrie-Flom Center for Health Law Policy, Biotechnology and Bioethics at Harvard Law School, wrote to us: "Although the occasional incidents involving people with HD [Huntington’s Disease] who kill themselves or others make for splashy news and riveting human interest stories, the fact is that the vast majority of people with HD are not dangerous to themselves or others."

It’s a sensitive topic, listeners pointed out, because of the history of discrimination against people with the disease. Meyer continued:

"People with HD are instead much more likely to be the victims of violence. They were burned at the stake as witches in Salem and sent to the gas chambers during the Holocaust, for instance. Less dramatically, they are routinely turned away from public accommodations or arrested because their chorea is mistaken for drunkenness. Many who are at risk for HD choose not to be tested, not only because they don't want to know, but also, in many cases, because they fear the consequences of an HD diagnosis for their employment and insurance status … on top of the risk that others will respond to them with irrational fears and prejudices."

So to repeat: I did not mean to imply that Huntington's is what made Vince do this violent thing. Or to imply that he’s not responsible for what he did, because of Huntington's. I regret that I didn't make that clearer in the story. If we rebroadcast the story, we'll correct that.

Ira here. I'm hosting an event in New York for the US Holocaust Memorial Museum this coming Wednesday, May 22nd. Tickets are pricey — they're raising money — but they have me interviewing some incredible people onstage. Eugenie Mukeshimana is a survivor of the Rwandan genocide; Thomas Buergenthal was in Auschwitz as a boy; with a remarkable lack of bitterness about the past, he went on to become a judge at the International Criminal Court of Justice in The Hague. Funds raised will support the Museum's Center for the Prevention of Genocide.

Broadcast May 11 to May 13

One of the underwriters on our show, the car company Scion, has a promotion called Motivate, inviting entrepreneurs to submit one-minute videos describing business ideas. Scion chose ten winners to each receive a cash prize, a Scion and access to business mentors. Here are three of the winning submissions.

Notes for Notes
A nonprofit program that provides kids with free access to instruments, recording studios and music instruction. Santa Barbara, CA and Nashville, TN.

Lilco
A letterpress and graphic design studio. Dallas, TX.

Wonderheads
A theater company specializing in mask performance. Portland, OR.

This post is part of an underwriting package purchased by Scion.