By Dr. Selwyn R. Cudjoe
January 03, 2008
The last week of December was tragic and tortuous. The assassination of Benazir Bhutto and the tearing apart of Kenya because of a rigged election demonstrated the fragility of human existence and how much we live on the edge. I have traveled to both countries, seen their beauty and feel much sympathy for their citizens’ pain. During the last week I have also had to make painful decisions about my treatment for a diagnosis of prostate cancer.
Over the last two weeks I have also reflected on my reading that included Sidney Poitier’s The Measure of a Man; James Watson’s Avoid Boring People and The Double Helix; Noam Chomsky and Michel Foucault’s The Chomsky-Foucault Debate on Human Nature and Dr. Glenn Bubley’s What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Prostate Cancer.
I was struck by the simplicity of What Your Doctor May Tell You About Prostate Cancer (a must reading for every man); the quiet dignity of The Measure of a Man; the eloquence of Avoid Boring People; and the fierce intellectualism of The Chomsky-Foucault Debate. In these readings I have been guided-perhaps struck is a better word-by Poitier’s admonition: “I had to stay in charge of my life no matter how it all played out. Regardless of whatever (or whoever) else might have been looking out for me, I needed to know, first and foremost, that I was looking out for myself.” Poitier does not mean to be selfish or egoistical in his assertion. He wishes to argue for the principle of self-reliance and a truism that each of us is responsible for his destiny or the choices he or she makes.
Poitier’s central message is this: no matter what challenges life throws in one’s direction, one should never fly in the face of God-as my mother would say-nor ask “Why Me?” A dear friend of mine has a simple answer to that question: “Why Not Me? What makes you so special that you should be exempt from life’s trials and tribulations?”
Poitier was also a victim of prostrate cancer. Having elected to remove his prostate, “an expendable organ” as Dr. Bubley reminds us, Poitier confesses: “Surgery left me naked to myself and to the world, with prostate and camouflage removed. Shortcomings, weaknesses, frailties, vulnerabilities, inadequacies, self-doubts, and all-my total reality in plain sight. No less flawed than most, and no longer burdened by the need to appear otherwise.” And, with the humility that sickness imposes on us, Poitier acknowledged: “With blunt honesty, my cancer said, ‘You’re not a star; you’re a human being, vulnerable like all the rest.'”
Dr. Bubley, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, humanizes the disease. Each year in the United States “more than 1,000,000 men are diagnosed with a prostate disease, and another 180,000 with prostate cancer.” It is the most common form of cancer found in men. After lung cancer, it is the leading cause of cancer death in men.
Black men are particularly vulnerable. Prostate cancer is found in “180.6 per 100,000 among African Americans, seven times the rate of among Koreans, the group with the lowest rate.” While no one is sure why black men are so susceptible to this disease, they need to protect themselves from it. From the age of forty, they should do annual tests so that it can be detected early.
Dr. Watson draws his lessons from the scientific world. Although he has made many racist statements (he says that Africans are less intelligent than whites) his book makes for fascinating reading. He says one should only accept advice that comes from experience rather than revelation; and that knowing “why” is more important than learning “what.” He suggests that one avoids boring people and insists that “hypocrisy in search of social acceptance erodes your self-respect.” Poitier offers a similar message in his autobiography. In fact, his life is a struggle to maintain his dignity-his measure as a man-in spite of all the attempts to deny him self respect. He preferred to remain a loner rather than opt for social acceptance.
At Harvard, Cambridge or Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in New York Dr. Watson surrounded himself with the best available minds, preferable with scientists who showed scientific promise rather than those who lived on their past glories. It helped him to win a Nobel Prize; create an atmosphere for others to win Nobel prizes; and to develop one of most important scientific laboratories in the world.
Chomsky and Foucault, two of the world’s most important philosophers (Foucault died in 1985) discusses what constitutes innate human nature, each from his specific discipline. Each placed his faith in the fundamental human emotion of sympathy and a search for justice rather than sanctifying institutions of centralized power. The quest for originality, creativity and posing questions to politics are indispensable to creating a new consciousness among people.
These authors have much to say about human nature. It is well that we ponder their sentiments. We will need much sympathy and courage as we face life’s challenges in the coming year.
I was touched by Selwyn Cudjoe’s piece, on the day we learned of Terry Joseph’sd eath from the same scourge. Two people whom i know through writing, have now been struck with an ailment that is prevalent among red meat eaters, and people exposed to a lot of electronic bombardment.
A number of my female friends have become vegans in the last few years, to avoid the deadly scourge of cancer. Thye eat no meat, red or otherwise.
Recent indications that I got from a diet doctor on Oprah is that every humn body builds some cancer cells every seven years. Whether your body sloughs them off or not, depends on diet and exercise, as well as other related aspects of living.
In other words, all of these ailments are preventable, and in many cases, curable by lifestyle choice.
Those interested in lifestyle changes should consider in addition to Selwyn’s list, The China Study by T. Colin Campbell, and Thomas M. Campbell, ISBN#978-1-932100-66-2-51696. One of my vegan friends bought thirty copies and gave one to each friend for Christmas. Bless her name!
If half the premises in this book are true, people can throw away their pills and eat themselves into a healthier state.Good luck Selwyn, and to all who will read this and pass the information to their friends.
Best of luck to you sir. Please don’t stop the writing! Though I sometimes have differing opinions and views, I do enjoy your discussions, and respect your takes on the various topics that you have written about.
I was in no way touched by the CUDJOE piece as I was in no way touched by the life and death of Mrs.Bhutto.
Why ?
If she chose to go into Pakistan and run for elections fully aware that there were people waiting and ready to kill her…and especially people who are the most deadly kinds of assassins:
Those who will kill themselves to kill you…why in the world should anyone feel touched by here death ?
Please, give jack his jacket Mrs.Butto escaped a first attempt which killed so many people if she had any compassion for here people above her political ambitions she will not have placed them at risk by going into crowds and basically screaming at the vile assassins: ” I dare you to kill me!”…well they did .
Sorry,plain talk bad manners.
So all this outpouring of sympathy etc and blaming left right and center seems kind of hypocritical to me because she and we all knew the people who were said to be after her are people who ,as we speak, are engaing the worlds most Powerful Military in Iraq and Afghanistan and they seem never to ever let up their sucide bombmings against American troops who are well armed and well trained and are unafraid to go after them !
Why ddi Mrs.Butto feelthat she and her security people could fare any better ?
People who walk into their deaths may have a death wish and a desire to become Martyrs but I can assure you that Mrs.Butto’s death can do nothing positive for Pakistan but simply strengthen the hand of Mr.Osama Bin Laden as it is alleged he seeks to create turmoil whereever America establishes itself in the third world.
With every high profile murder his organization gains more and more converts who are willing to blow themsleves up to achieve his goal.
Maybe if TNT had Politicians who were just a quarter as committed to the betterment of TNT like Mrs.Buttho and her murderes were committed to their cause we probably will have won the war on crime and corruption long ago so if there is any lesson to be learned from the unfortunate demise of Mrs.Butto for TNT it is: A Politican should be willing to walk tall in what they believe in service to TNT even in the face of certain death.
I can hear all yuh saying,” yeah,right,dem thief in parliament only for dey self yes….dem? die for TNT …? Republican you eh fearless nuh,you mad,yes!”
I remain,The Fearless TNT Republican.
Dr. Cudjoe, I disagree with you on many issues. But this is ideological and never personal. I am praying that you are able to beat this illness and, with your fortitude, I believe you can. Lance Armstrong was diagnosed with cancer, received his last rights and went on to win the Tour de France. Please don’t give up fighting!
Mr.Cudjoe:
It is my wish and prayer that the Almighty God in God’s wisdom and all power heal you of all that afflicts you right now.
Professor everytime over the years I have read articles by LLyod Best and yourself i always wished that brilliant fellows like yourself would one day come to the realization that what you write is great but beyond the ordinary person on the street who needs so badly to hear and to understand what you are saying and therein lies the tragedy…..
Your writings are directed towards people who actually will read and understand and say ” great piece! Well done!” and that is the end of the great piece as they “kill it ” with ” talk” while they imbibe ” libations!” and admire their latest ” African Import” and seek to ” look ” liberated etc…but in the end they do NOTHING!
If you ,Professor Cudjoe,would simplify your great ideas
(like Chariman Mao did)and make it available to the “gang
banger” in Laventille a few ( that is all it takes) of them will have understood and you will have seen the changes which will have come forth and maybe you will have been arrested for ” sedition” etc.
You stil have a great opportunity to change your direction and simplify your writings and give it to the people of Morvant and laventille and speak with their leaders and request them to bring you in as a speaker to the people up there who everyone looks down upon as criminals and useless people only worthy of being shot by the police …speak to them and inspire them with your great knowledge and you will see how much great fruit it will bear rather than the lack of fruit which your writngs bear BECAUSE IT FALLS upon the dead ears of the so called TNT intellectuals.
I do not have your gift of words and education but check out what I am saying and take a look again at the writings of Fidel Castro and Mao and see how different they presented their writings to the ordinary people….May God inspire you to lead a life way above he ordinary.
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1. Powerful Anti-cancer Function
* Restraining the increasing of cancer cells.
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* Restraining the activeness of cancer and preventing the happening
of cancer.
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chemotherapy medicine for anti-cancer while reducing the toxicity
and side-effects of radiotherapy and chemotherapy.
* Resisting the invasion and transferring of tumour.
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2. Anti-aging, anti-radiation and providing extra body vitality.
3. Enhancing constitution and heart function, soothing nerves and prolonging
life.
4. Effectively preventing diabetes and cardiovascular diseases.
http://ebotanical.ca/anti-cancer_ginsenoside.htm
Ginseng is contra-indicated for people with chronic hypertension. Please check before using it. One of the B vitamin group , Niacin, is extremely dangerous for people with diabetes. Users of herbal remedies, especially if beginning them late in life, should heed these warnings.