Thanks, Rick.  I can tolerate a lot of rhetoric that I don't agree with, and
if I get to the point of not wanting to read what I consider drivel, the
subject line clues me in and I hit the delete button.  We must keep the
issues in front of our politicians.  Being vocal is not a guarantee that
they will hear us or act accordingly, but one thing you can bet on:  if we
shut up, they certainly won't hear us.

Katie
Caregiver for Russ, age 56
----- Original Message -----
From: "Rick McGirr" <[log in to unmask]>
To: <[log in to unmask]>
Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: Introduce myself/Terry


> >Religious and political squabbles only interfere with, and delay the
>>search for >better treatment and possible cures, so why perpetuate
>>them on this network?
>
> Terry,
>
> If your views are strongly held, as mine are, even tho differing,
> those views are valid, and certainly have a direct effect on the
> course of our common fight.  For example, it's the people who come
> down on one side of the fence that have held up in the courts the $3
> billion earmarked for controversial research.  If we are truly to
> cooperate on defeating our little friend, we must be up front with
> each other.  All thru life you and I have experienced people with more
> or less of a penchant for self expression, some very agreeable, some
> stuff you just don't need to hear, or wouldn't want to anyway.  That's
> up to you.  But, for example, if someone objects to ESCR and cloning
> on religious grounds, and will not support it in any way, and if such
> research appears to be an area of major promise for treating disease,
> naturally you're going to have people coming down strongly on both
> sides of the issue.  I think it's definitely counterproductive to just
> shut up about it.  It's undemocratic.  It leaves too much for the
> powers that be to decide.  The little people, the people actually
> afflicted, should speak with the loudest voices.  If the voice is
> shrill, or carries a statement that evokes strong responses, or if the
> speaker is immovable or just wrong, that's part of living with 6
> billion other people.  Rare is the place where one can go to acheive
> true silence.  And here, in web-land, where the words sit silently
> waiting for you to read them, may be the best place to thoughtfully
> express those views.  And what I can say about this listserv is that
> just about everything I've ever read here has been thoughtfully
> contributed, no matter the position.
>
> Terry, I'm just a free-speech kind of guy, and I've learned here
> something about focusing on the bottom line, and about not letting
> what someone says trigger a barrage of rhetorical foam from me.  But
> I'm willing to live next door to any one of y'all.  I'll put up with
> your country music if you'll put up with my heavy metal, so to speak.
> Both can be really noisy, but both have common roots.
>
> Respectfully,
> Rick McGirr
> Email: [log in to unmask]
>
>
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "Terry Robertson" <[log in to unmask]>
> To: <[log in to unmask]>
> Sent: Wednesday, November 30, 2005 4:35 AM
> Subject: Re: Introduce myself
>
>
>> My name is Terry:
>> This is my first posting on this list and is in fact my first
>> attempt at any network posting so I will be curious to see if I am
>> doing things right. I am 58 and was first diagnosed with PD a few
>> months ago. I went to a local support group and while it was
>> informative and I learned a little more about this disease, like you
>> Debbie, I had a similar reaction. I found it a bit scary and
>> definitely depressing. I don't think I will be going back any time
>> soon, especially now that I have found this network. It has been my
>> support group for the past couple of  months, even just as an
>> observer.
>> I am also going to say something more general about this list
>> network.
>> I really appreciate some of the personal stories and some of the
>> latest updates on scientific developments in the field of PD
>> research, as well as the reports on the various drugs people are
>> using and their results and reactions.
>> While I think it is appropriate on this network to keep the
>> user/readers informed of PD political matters and lobbying efforts
>> on the issue of promoting more PD research funding (like the Michael
>> J  Fox Foundation does), I think it is inappropriate that so many
>> posting have recently centred around whether excess fetal stem cells
>> should be cloned... creative design vs. evolution... the ethics of
>> buying blood or selling eggs and what a scientific theory is. I have
>> strong views on those topics, but this is not the place to discuss
>> them. I wish those who do, would go somewhere else to discuss
>> American political issues. In most of the rest of the world such
>> matters have been decided long ago and they are not relevant on this
>> international PD network. Such discussions do nothing to give aid,
>> comfort or hope to PWP. So I wish everyone would keep their eye on
>> the ball and limit comments to subjects that bear direct relevance
>> to PD, especially to promising research and developments of any
>> kind, whether in South Korea, USA, Canada, Europe, or wherever.
>> Religious and political squabbles only interfere with, and delay the
>> search for better treatment and possible cures, so why perpetuate
>> them on this network?
>>
>> *********** REPLY SEPARATOR  ***********
>>
>> On 11/29/05 at 8:26 PM MyFirstname Mylastname Debbie Shontz wrote:
>>
>>>About the support group.  I went to my first meeting last week and
>>>it was
>>>really scarey.  Lots of walkers, wheel chairs and care givers.  I
>>>was the
>>>best of
>>>shape there.  I don't know if I will go back or not.  DEBBIE
>>>
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>
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