Will someone please answer this post because I don't trust
myself to do it!!!!!
At 04:43 PM 09/24/2000 -0500, you wrote:
>It was pointed out to us at the MJF Foundation forum this past June that stem
>cells would be useful in fighting other ailments than PD - or neurological
>diseases in general. Specifically mentioned, I remember, was heart disease.
>
>Sorry, list, but as far as number of people affected, we're small potatoes
>compared to these people. The number of people who have heart disease, who
>have a family member with heart disease, who have had a close relative die
>from
>heart disease, whose doctors feel they are candidates for heart disease, etc.,
>is many times the number affected by PD. What is this group doing to further
>stem cell research?
>
>The principle under which PAN used to operate (and to a goodly extent still
>does) was that they used their limited funds to get the U. S. Government to
>spend money on projects many times that amount. I called it "amplifying"
>their
>money, as the output of money spent on Parkinson research as a result of PAN
>efforts was so much greater than the money input to PAN.
>
>We have a similar situation here, perhaps. We can all write and call and fax
>and e-mail our Senators and Representatives until we're blue in the face. Or
>we can explain to our friends at risk or with family at risk for heart disease
>how important stem cell research is to them - and get ten or twenty new people
>to write their Senators and Representatives.
>
>It seems to me as though the upcoming election in the United States could be a
>one-issue election for many of us: Gore favors funding stem cell research;
>Bush straddles the lines, at best. But if Bush were to favor stem cell
>research and Gore be against it, Bush would get my vote. Ditto for
>Senator and
>Representative and other races in the election. Only if the candidates
>were to
>substantially agree on stem cell research would I look at the rest of their
>platform.
>
>If more people become aware of the potential of stem cell research, it would
>help. If they let it be known that they too consider this to be a single
>issue
>election and that stem cells are that issue, it might change the attitudes and
>positions of our candidates. More important yet, it could affect the results
>of our election.
>
>There are so many people with so much in their lives to be gained from stem
>cell research - and what do they know about it? It would seem to be a good
>time to help our allies to spread the word about the potential of stem
>cells to
>their constituent groups. This could be another example of "amplification" of
>our efforts.
>
>What are our Parkinson's institutions and foundations doing about it?
>
>What tools do we have at our disposal specifically for this task?
>
>How can we work together to do something about it?
>
>Any ideas?
>
>Art
just "Parkie" me,
Marjorie
There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.
-C.S. Lewis-
