Where I Stand: Mayor’s bout with cancer should send message to valley

Friday, Jan. 9, 1998 | 10:20 a.m.

It is good to be mayor.

In the spectacularly crowd-pleasing movie and now theatrical presentation of the Lion King, the subjects of the story's object opined that, upon reflection, it was good to be king. And so it is.

In Las Vegas, while we are not her loyal subjects -- sometimes anything and everything but that -- we do believe that it is good to be mayor. And that means it is good to be Jan Jones. And if ever Las Vegans questioned her dedication and purpose, those issues were put to rest this week when she made the brave and unusual acknowledgement that she has been diagnosed with breast cancer. She is not the first woman who has lived in the public eye who has come forward but she is the latest to have shared her very personal problem with a million people she doesn't know.

The word cancer still strikes fear in the hearts and minds of every human being. Its effects are, for the most part, still devastating to families that must live through their loved ones' cancer fights and often, long after they have gone. And while the odds of surviving many forms of the disease have been improving steadily over the past decade or so, the reality remains that cancer is one of the biggest killers we have today.

So when a person of Jan Jones' stature, a person who can afford to suffer silently and privately, decides to share her illness with her friends and constituents, her motives for doing so should not be questioned. And just like many people in public life who have come forward with their medical problems in an effort to raise public awareness and involvement so, too, has Jan made her cancer a matter of public record. And, in doing so, she may be responsible for saving countless numbers of Las Vegans who continue to believe they are immune to the ravages of such diseases.

There is little question that beyond some genetic links to various forms of cancer, our environment has a great deal to do with whether or not we will be among the growing number of cancer sufferers during the next few decades. Ten years ago it was estimated that one out of every two families in the United States would be touched by cancer before the end of the 20th century. My brief and unscientific poll of friends and family leads me to believe that the estimate was off. We are already there. For how many of you can say that you don't know a friend or family member who does not have or has not had some form of cancer?

By environmental causes I mean simply the air we breathe, the water we drink and the food we eat. Somewhere among those three life-sustaining forces are planted the seeds of a very difficult illness that continues to grow until one day we are hit squarely in the face. And in much the same way that Jan received her challenging news. And just like the woman of action that she is, she is already facing her attacker head on and with her grit and determination that cancer guy doesn't have a chance.

But for every gutsy mayor like Jan Jones there are hundreds, even thousands, of ordinary citizens who must face the kind of devastating diagnoses that change lives and families forever. It is true that with each passing day we get closer to the time when cancer will be treated like a common cold but the reality is that today it still kills a great number of its victims. And unlike the chance-takers we have been reading about lately who have looked death in the face and lost, most of the victims of cancer have had little or no control of their medical destinies.

If it is true that the air we breathe and the water we drink, for example, can contribute to medical problems down the road, why is it that we seemingly do so little to make sure that we breathe and drink the best and cleanest available? Why is it that when we read stories about two-headed or two-something or othered fish swimming in Lake Mead, our drinking water, there is little or no public outcry? Why are we content to assume that "somebody" will take care of the problem while we go merrily along our way?

And why, when there are constant threats to the quality of the air we breathe, do we turn our backs, breathe deeply and expect someone else to clean up our mess? We don't trust people so willingly with our money or our property so why are we so comfortable giving them the balance of our lives and the health and welfare of our children?

There are many areas of concern that our medical world tells us are to be avoided. The list of carcinogens in our food grows longer each day as the list of edible and healthy food we can eat grows shorter. The quality of the air we breathe continues to grow worse as we allow pollutants to enter our world for the sake of a few dollars or a few jobs.

And, right here in Las Vegas, there are some who suggest that there are benefits to accepting the nation's high-level nuclear waste when we know full well and without question that radioactivity is inimical to good health. Why on Earth would anyone in his or her right mind want to trade bad health tomorrow for a few dollars today?

The answer is elusive but the fact remains that such an attitude exists in our state. Fortunately, those who express such views are in the minority. But nuke waste is an easy target. We know it is bad and we know no one else wants it so it is easy to just say no. What about our water and our air, though? Why are we content to accept the words of those who would trade cleaner air for the few dollars more a polluting industry might bring to town? And why are we so blase that we do nothing when we hear about deformed fish swimming around in our drinking water?

You don't have to be a Ph.D. to understand that there is some causal relationship between a filthy environment and an unlucky streak in the communal health of our citizens. Science may demand years to actually prove that connection but does that mean we should be willing to risk our lives and those of our families when our common sense is screaming at us to pay attention now?

I think not. Jan Jones and the others who find themselves in similar positions will continue their personal struggles against their own diseases. They will have the prayers and best wishes of their community to comfort them during their time of challenge.

But if their going public with their problems are to have any meaning then we will have to learn what they teach us. Part of the lesson is about courage and about strength. We will see that as Jan overcomes her challenger.

The other part of the lesson is about common sense and sense of community. Its about keeping our air clean, our water pure and our food free from disease. Its about thinking with our heads and not always with our wallets. It is a useful lesson indeed.

It is good to be the mayor. We wish our good mayor a healthy new year.

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