CALIFORNIA ELECTIONS: PROPOSITION 128 : Gut-Wrenching TV Commercial Uses Cancer Victims

The Proposition 128 campaign began airing a gut-wrenching television commercial Wednesday that features two cancer victims, one of them a bald, 4-year-old girl who tells viewers, “I can’t vote but you can.”

Backers of the environmental initiative hope the emotional appeal from actress Tracy Nelson, who stars in television’s “Father Dowling’s Mysteries,” and little Colette Chuda will provide the boost they need to win the election Tuesday.

“I had cancer three years ago. Believe me, you don’t want it,” says Nelson, 26, who was diagnosed with Hodgkins disease in 1987. “Proposition 128 gets rid of cancer-causing chemicals in our air, food and water.”

Proposition 128, called “Big Green” by supporters and “The Hayden Initiative” by opponents, would prohibit the use of at least 25 cancer-causing pesticides, among its many provisions.

Nelson, who lost her spleen, liver and most of her lung capacity to cancer, told reporters at a press conference that Hodgkins disease and many other forms of cancer are induced by environmental factors and could be prevented by eliminating known cancer-causing pesticides.

“I’m not a laboratory animal so there’s no way to really know if what I had was directly from a specific chemical, but I do know that Hodgkin’s disease is thought to be environmentally induced,” Nelson said. Hodgkin’s disease is a cancerous disorder of so-called lymphoid tissues found mainly in the lymph nodes and spleen. The cause of the disease is not known. Although clusters of cases have been reported, there is no clear evidence of an environmental cause, scientists say. It can be treated with radiation, chemotherapy and anti-cancer drugs, and can be cured if caught early.

Collete was diagnosed with the rare Wilms’ tumor last May and has undergone surgery, radiation and chemotherapy, causing her to lose her hair.

In response to the ad, opponents of Proposition 128 urged voters to put aside their emotions and reject the measure because it is too costly and will not make the environment any safer.

“Obviously, cancer is an incredible personal tragedy and a horrible event that has befallen many Californians,” said Scott Macdonald, a spokesman for the opposition campaign. “But Proposition 128 is not the answer to our cancer problems and not the answer to our environmental problems.”

The 30-second ad featuring Nelson--the daughter of singer Rick Nelson and the granddaughter of Ozzie and Harriet Nelson--attempts to counter the theme of the industry-backed opposition campaign that the initiative is too expensive.