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I want to thank Bob Johnson for his excellent letter of support and the ever industrious Diane Wysak for finding my targets. This job is too big for just one person, so I want to encourage you to write even if you disagree with me and believe ESCR is embryocide. I think this whole issue needs to be a topic of national discussion. Disagreement exists in the PD community and might provide the drama that would interest the media, I don't know. So Mary Ann Ryan get busy. One guy I exchanged emails with argued they weren't claiming cures, just successful treatments. To me that would include the one time Sinemet helped me and my tremor improvement with DBS. I'm not satisfied with crumbs, nor do I see brain surgery as a routine treatment. Also, we need to know what besides spinal cord injuries and PD is being misrepresented on those lists. As you all know, "successful treatment" is not an adequate picture of life with a progressive incurable disease. The well public does not understand even as we PWP don't understand at different stages of this journey. For example, I saw a woman today I met in the local nail salon who has had PD a couple of years and she had difficulty grasping that my trying to talk is akin to strangulation and talking is painful, but not in the way one would expect. Any help you can provide is help for everyone. Ray ----- Original Message ----- From: "Robert M. Johnson" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Cc: "rayilynlee" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Tuesday, March 28, 2006 8:47 AM Subject: Rayilynlee's Story Suggestion > Because I believe Rayilyn Brown has made a valid point about the spread of > misinformation regarding research that I believe is central to finding a > cure for Parkinson's, I have sent the following letter of support for her > story suggestion along with a copy of that suggestion to 60 Minutes, > 20/20, Dateline, Nightline and 48 Hours. Anyone thinking of doing the > same, please feel free to use any part of my letter that you may find > useful. > > <start of letter> > > I urge you to investigate the claim by Rayilyn Brown that opponents of > embryonic stem cell (ESC) research have been effectively misinforming the > American public and news media by grossly exaggerating the benefits of > experimental adult stem cell (ASC) treatment methodologies in arresting or > curing degenerative diseases such as Parkinsons. By overstating the > successes of adult stem cell treatments, the opponents of embryonic stem > cell research would have us believe that available research dollars are > far better spent on ASC research of which they approve rather than on ESC > research which they believe to be intrinsically immoral. > > The best way to lower health care costs is to find the cures to the > diseases that plague us. Stem cell research offers that hope provided its > results are not politicized or distorted. The American public is entitled > to the truth about the potential effectiveness of adult stem cell research > vis-a-vis embryonic stem cell research. I believe Ms. Brown's story merits > full, honest and accurate investigative reporting. I hope you will bring > this news worthy story to your program audience. > > Robert M. Johnson > Holbrook, MA > > att: Rayilyn Brown's story suggestion > > <end of letter> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn