All puns aside, the d-blogosphere has erupted into a flurry of support for Mr. Universe Doug Burns and his appearance in court. 

What's this?  Mr. Universe may be going to jail??

I spoke with Doug a few days after his altercation with the police, and his shock at the turn of events was tangible.  I mentioned that there had been dozens of bloggers taking a stand in his defense, press releases aplenty, and a general buzz of support in the community.  "This response has been overwhelming," he said.  "I have a tendency to brush things off, but this is different.  It's vital that people know about diabetes.  That they have the confidence to talk about it. ... I want to raise awareness of this disease."

We discussed the kind help provided by Ian the Paramedic, who wrote down his cell phone number and handed it to Doug, saying, "If they charge you, call me."  The conversation moved from the incident at the movie theater to that banter that slides in easily between two diabetics.  We compared diagnosis stories, gym experiences, and talked freely about how it felt to be diabetic for so many years.

And it dawned on me, as we were talking, that Doug Burns may be Mr. Universe but he's also just like the rest of us:  he's a diabetic, and he needed the assistance and compassion of his fellow man, not to be slapped with a lawsuit.  This could have been any of us.  And it may very well be in the future.  The time to take a stand is now.

Amy has done the dBlogosphere the service of providing the contact names and phone numbers for the District Attorney's office, in hopes that we, as a community, can get the DA's office to ditch the charges.  The numbers Amy provided are:

Chief Deputy District Attorney Steve Wagstaffe  (650) 363-4752 and Assistant District Attorney Morley Pitt (650) 363-4785. 

Call today.  Take Bernard's lead and call every day, until we make a difference.   Tell your friends to call.  Blog about it. 

To make a difference in Doug's life is making a difference in your own.

EDIT:  Vivian has provided quite an update over at her site.  The case is being dismissed!