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Dear Dennis, et al. - Even though I. know nothing whatever of the history of the various national organizations which raise money, and hackles, for research, treatment and so on for PD, I am willing to invent a scenario of how things got to be the way they are today. Two axioms: 1) This is the USA 2) People act like people. Starting from 1) The good old USA has a strong tradition of volunteerism. Rather than wait for local, state, or federal government to do something, we go ahead and do it ourselves. If there are four national foundations, that must mean that four somebodies had the same good idea and the interest and energy to do something about it. Further, as a republic, there is no official national sponsorship to give one organization formal superiority. We have no Royal anythings. From 2) Egos get involved and the tendency is for organizations to fragment rather than to coalesce. The biggest egos of all belong to reformers. They have received the Word and they hear the call to go and convert the world. That's all folks. Is it true. ?? How should I know ?? . George Andes 63/15 and still counting