UPDATE: Numerous sources inform us that the son who commented for the stories gave permission for the TV station to tape his dad to try to bring attention to the issue of romances among Alzheimer’s patients. The AP reporter followed up with Sandra Day O’Connor herself despite her “no comment.” I still feel badly for her and less pissed at the TV station, only now I wonder about the ethics of allowing your legally-unable-to-consent father to be videotaped in this manner

Sandra Day O’Connor has always seemed, to me, like a really cool chick. She’s brilliant, she can hold her own in a male-dominated world, and she did the whole working-mom thing (back in the day, even) and still managed to reach the pinnacle of her career. She married another lawyer (John Jay O’Connor, so he was obviously predestined to be a lawyer) who moved for her career and seemed for all the world like he was incredibly supportive despite the fact that it was detrimental to his own career. And, then, she stepped down from the Court to help care for him after his Alzheimer’s disease became a problem.

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