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Good morning, List: This is what I emailed to Larry King Live. My thanks to Delores for getting his email address. :) Dear Larry: I belong to the Parkinson's Information List on the internet. We are a community of people worldwide - 1800+ members, an internet family held together by a common thread - each of our lives has been affected by this in one way or another by Parkinson's Disease. We exchange information on this list, share good and bad experiences, laugh and cry together, and cling to a desperate hope for a cure. There was excitement on the list when the Udall bill passed. Then again when Senator Spector introduced his bill ( S-2105 ) on Stem Cell Research - only to have our hopes dashed when we heard Senator Brownback of Kansas has placed 23 amendments on this bill - changing one word, etc - in effect delaying or killing passage of this bill. Here are some recent email messages posted to the list. Listen to our cries for help. "What is the issue re: Federal Funding (US) for Stem Cell Research? In January 2000 Sen. Spector put a Bill in the Senate S.2015. In April and Sept. there were hearings (testimony) to advance or oppose this bill. Sept. 20th. Sen Brownback filed 23 amendments to this bill and it is obvious he intends to block it in the Senate. Now the 106th. Congress is drawing to a close and this vital bill has not been debated nor voted upon and may be lost for another year if we don't get together and contact everyone we can influence to support this bill.This would of course include anyone with Parkinson's but what about the other diseases? What about Diabetes, Cancer, Heart, Spine, Muscle, etc. If you know someone then pass on this info...Time is running out. We rallied on the PARKINSN LIST the last couple of weeks, but I fear we are too small a group." Murray Charters "Senator Trent Lott (Rep-Miss) has promised Senator Arlen Spector (R-Penn) that he will bring the stem cell issue up for vote within the month. Lott is very much anti-stem cell research. His timing is such that methinks he wants to rush thru a vote that would kill funding before he loses his probable lead. Specifically he is against the research using any form of stem cell from the in-vitro fertilization program. This is the biggest source of undifferentiated stem cells. This type of cell shows the most flexibility and the greatest life span. Adult stem cells appear to be more limited in flexibility and have a shorter life span. NIH has written a tough, but reasonable set of guidelines to prevent abuse of stem cells obtained from in-vitro programs. With less then one month left we need YOU to call your Congressman and both Senators ASAP. You can follow that up with a letter and possibly an e-mail missive." Sid Levin "It's one thing to vote against something ,but to sandbag it so no one can vote FOR it ,is playing dirty politics. Each time a Bill has an Amendment presented, each Amendment has to be read twice to the whole Senate, not just that committee. Then if the Amendment passes, the Bill is given a new number and sent back to the Senate committee again until its passed or rejected. By putting those Amendments in , one amendment for each word of a title, Brownback has fixed it so that NO ONE will be able to vote on this Bill during this session of Congress. I'm not certain that Brownback can asked for those amendments to be rescinded, but I doubt that he will do so. This is a very sad day in American politics, and an even sadder day for all of those whose lives could have been helped with this research." This and the following excerpt from an email is from Marjorie Moorefield, who was born in Kansas and wishes she could change her birth State after seeing Brownfield's tactics. "SOMETIMES IT'S HARD TO REMEMBER THE OBJECTIVE OF THIS EXERCISE WAS TO DRAIN THE SWAMP WHEN YOU ARE UP TO YOUR EYEBALLS IN ALLIGATORS Then after you read the caption, you could see the poor man, indeed, up to his eyeballs in alligators. Let's remember the objective of our exercise right now is to get the S.2015 Stem Cell Research Bill passed. This bill has only one purpose, to use Embryonic Cells to a more noble end than to be flushed down the drain, as is happening to them now. These Cells can never become living beings because they lack a host. Research on these condemned cells could , hopefully ,hasten a cure for many, many, chronic illnesses, PD only being one of many. It has absolutely nothing to do with abortions, selling baby body parts, nor cloning humans, nor cloning humans with animals. The NIH has very strict guidelines in place as to the way they can be used. The Bio-Ethics Committee has even approved .S.2015 MUST become our number one priority if we don't want to be condemn ourselves , or our loved ones , to a living hell and having Parkinson's Disease listed on our death certificates as cause of death.Let's us all remember the object of this exercise and get busy emailing Senators . Urge them to vote for S.2015, without Sen. Brownback's amendments." And last, titled Re: Life - from a mother who lost custody of her children because of governmental interference - deciding because she was a PWP (person with Parkinson's) she wasn't capable of caring for them. "yes, but when we are discussing stem cell research, the question is are we discussing an unborn baby? first of all, the 'cell clusters' are not viable on their own - a specious argument , i agree but to me the real argument is - they are bound for destruction anyway. they are going to be incinerated. they are waste material that is going to be destroyed. they are - if you believe they are living matter - about to be murder victims. and when a man is murdered, do we say his heart cannot be used for transplant, so that another man may live. do we say his cornea cannot give vision to a blind man. do we say his kidney may not spare someone from spending the rest of their lives on a dialysis machine. NO, we mourn his death, and then rejoice in the improved quality of life or even of the life itself that the recipients can enjoy. i know - i keep on reading their stories in readers digest! and so this little cell cluster, bound for the trash heap , could give quality of life e and length of days (in accordance with Deuternonomy chapter 22, verse 7) to someone w ith a muscular degenerative disease like ours. or diabetes, etc and i would love to read about it in readers digest! and although personally i do not support the death penalty, i can see the reasoning on certain cases. but by banning stem cell research - are you not supporting the death penalty for me?" hilary blue This is but a sampling of recent emails posted to our list. Is anyone out there listening to our cry for help? Will you help us, Larry, by asking Vice President Gore what his position is on Stem Cell Research? We who are PWP's will consider this carefully when we cast our votes. Will you also let the American public know the devious tactics of Senator Brownback. Those of us who can will be watching your TV show with interest. Please, please give us a hand and help us. Barbara Knight Diagnosed with Parkinson's last year.