Foundation dispels kidney stealing rumor
For more than a decade, a rumor has circulated that a business
traveler who sat down for a drink with a stranger in a New Orleans
hotel woke up the next morning in a tub full of ice  minus
his kidneys.
The new version relates the story of a college student who was
drinking at a party and woke up without his kidneys.
Students who have received an e-mail message detailing the rumor
have responded with amusement and, sometimes, fear.
Those who are fearful have gone so far as to contact the
National Kidney Foundation, asking for the truth about the organ
stealing rumor.
National Kidney Foundation spokeswoman Ellie Schlam said the
foundation has received so many letters and e-mails it decided to
send out a statement March 5 to end the confusion.
"We got it from many of our volunteers around the nation, and we
have sent out a message saying this was not true," Schlam said.
In the statement, National Kidney Foundation Chairwoman Wendy
Brown said the rumor is not true.
"It’s an urban myth run amok," Brown said in the statement.
"There is no evidence that such activity has ever occurred in the
United States."
The possibility of someone stealing kidneys is infinitesimal,
officials said.
"In truth, transplanting a kidney from a living donor involves
numerous tests for compatibility that must be performed before the
kidney is removed, so it’s highly unlikely that a gang could
operate in secrecy to recover organs that would be viable for a
transplant," Brown said in the statement.
Brown said she is concerned the rumor will deter people’s
willingness to become organ donors at a time when organ donations
are in demand.
The National Kidney Foundation is asking any individual who
claims to have had his or her kidneys illegally removed to step
forward and contact the foundation.
Actor speaks at UC Berkeley
Films that tackle social issues traditionally fail at the box
office because moviegoers are drawn to hit motion pictures like
"Lethal Weapon," actor Danny Glover told a UC Berkeley audience
March 18.
Glover, well-known for his work playing the role of a detective
in three "Lethal Weapon" movies, told students that he tries to
seek roles which serve a "social consciousness." It is important,
he said, for celebrities to advocate their social beliefs on and
off the screen.
Glover, a member of the board of directors for a drug
rehabilitation program in Oakland, told students that once he
established a successful movie career, he wanted to give back to
his community.
"I have a relationship with this world simply because of the
color of my skin," said Glover to several hundred students during
the political science seminar. "I’ve never been able to forget
that."
Current problems with drugs, racism and other social ills, he
said, are due in part to a lack of strong relationships between
people in communities.
"The struggle continues," he said. "Whatever policy we talk
about has to be embraced with the struggle. We need to have some
sort of common journey."
"We tolerate each other, (yet) we don’t really listen to each
other."
During the lecture, a film student asked Glover about the
balance he must make between trying to be a box-office success
while still approaching the issues that are important to him.
"It’s a very difficult situation," Glover answered.
"It seems that films that have some sort of social consciousness
have been impossible. They’re not made with the idea of selling a
lot of popcorn."
Glover, who has acted in movies such as "The Color Purple" and
"Witness," will star in the upcoming movie "Beloved," based on the
novel written by Toni Morrison.
Compiled from the University Wire.