LISTSERV 16.0 - PARKINSN Archives

Anything to do with science and medicine is very political. Financing has to go along with the current powers-that-be thought or forget it. Bush and the religious right have good science and expert scientists behind their philosophies too, but because they aren't the powers-that-be's ideas, ie global warming, etc. Bush is considered as not being a scientific President. Wouldn't you surround yourself with people that you thought were right? Who says they aren't right just because they don't agree with the atheistic scientists, that are so closed minded they won't print anything in their journals if they get the hint the writer believes in Intelligent Design, and then say their ideas aren't to be considered because they are not published in their journals? There are intelligent scientists that think embryonic cells are not the way to go, and that the adult or placental blood cells are a better way.

I understand your panic and desire to get a cure. My husband has PD and my mother and her brother had Alzheimer's, and my memory with words is slipping. I'd really be thrilled if they can come up with cures before it's too late for us.

While we are at it, something that really gripes me is the advertisements to apply for grants for whatever. "Get money from the government to pay for your new business," etc. There is so much money for grants for things that are nice but not necessary. I am and artist, but I really resent money going to the arts in this time when we really need it for medical research, etc. When the money is advocated for a project, they have to spend it whether they need it or not or they won't get as much the next year.

Parkinson's research, what if they are going down the wrong alley as the pdrecovery.org thinks?
They finance their own research and are getting recoveries.

Because we are keeping the terrorists busy we haven't had any attacks here. Good money spent I think. Clinton kept backing down, and the antiwar people are encouraging to the terrorists because they think Americans don't have a stomach for the war and we'll give up to them. Well, we have to show them we can't be bossed around.

Congress gave New Orleans plenty of money to fix their levies. Just because the locals decided to to something else with the money, even thought they had been warned for many years that they needed to fix this situation, it is not fair to throw this into the fray as to adding this to the "ineptness" of the President. Even though you admit this isn't pertinent here, it adds to the discontent with Bush. Actually New Orleans had an elaborate plan on how to handle the disaster, but it was never implemented.

Paula
Dolores Buente <[log in to unmask]> wrote:
Dear List members,

I feel that Linda's message in regard to PD and politics is so important
that it bears repeating and deserves our time to reflect upon it and fully
comprehend its meaning.

Linda wrote that anyone who thinks that finding a cure for Parkinson's
doesn't involve politics is living with their head buried in the sand. She
explains that it took three years of political activism to pass the Udall bill and
that Parkinson's research would still be receiving the lowest funding of all
chronic illnesses if people hadn't worked politically to turn that around.

She points out that while billions of dollars are being spent on the war in
Iraq, the proposed budget for the NIH this year is a 1/2 percent increase.
With the rate of inflation, this represents less dollars than we had to work
with last year.

The current administration is ignoring the advice of scientific experts in
their fields in favor of the opinions of religious fundamentalists and neo
conservatives. Medical advisory committees have been stacked with those who
share the President's social and religious beliefs. Scientific associations
have termed George W. Bush as "The most anti-science President in history."

As a person with Parkinson's disease, these are all very important issues to
me. These issues affect my life and my future. They affect the lives and
futures of my children and grandchild. I am but one of many whose lives and
futures are affected by the decisions our political leaders wish to make for us
(for society) and I do not choose to sit back quietly and politely when I
do not agree. I think we all should have learned a lesson on that when we
watched as levees broke, a city flooded and thousands of lives were jeopardized
as a result of a failure of leadership to initiate either a responsible plan
for prevention or an organized plan for responsive emergency action.

Yes, I know, and I will agree with the principle that our leadership is not
responsible for nor can they be expected to prevent or remand every
disastrous act of nature and every affliction that can befall us. What I do not agree
with is our leaders being presented with a reasonable opportunity to fund,
explore, research and hopefully find cures for some of mankind's most
devastating diseases through embryonic stem cell research and their choice not to do
so....I call that a monstrous failure of leadership!

There are some who will find this message inappropriate to this forum but in
spite of the risk of being offensive, I feel it imperative to express to the
Parkinson's community my feelings about the importance of PD's connection to
politics and the need to be vocal on this issue.

Dee

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