I wrote this weeks ago, but got busy and never put it up. Then something happened last week that added to the article which was good that I waited. Then I got sucked into this game that I can't stop playing during any and all free time I have. But I finally got my ass off of it (at least for a few minutes) to write this piece.
First and most importantly, a farewell to Christoper Reeve. If anyone in the world deserves the title of Superman, he does. I even thought I'd get to see him walk again. I watched all the coverage about his death and no matter what they showed him doing, all I can see is Kal-El/Clark Kent/Superman. He may not have fully beaten his injury but he didn't give in to it. And he inspired many others with similar conditions to live their lives and not just sit back and watch it pass by.
And the plays into what the main focus of this article is about. Gene therapy coming from Stem Cell research, which is opposed and fought against by Bush. This research could help thousands, if not more, of people that have been in accidents or have been born with depilitating conditions. A friend of mine at work, Kathy, has a friend who was in a car accident a few years ago. She's paralyzed from the waist down. About three weeks ago, Kathy was telling me that her friend had been chosen to go to Canada for Gene Therapy treatment that may help her to walk again. It's still to early to tell if it worked or not. But at least there is the hope that it will. And if it doesn't, then maybe some scientist in Canada or somewhere else will be able to figure out why not and make it work.
I understand the people that oppose it, is based on the fact that most of the research is done from stem cells from aborted fetus', and they feel strongly against abortion. But since abortion is still legal, then why not at least let some good come out of it. Yes, it's terrible that a woman has an abortion, but why not at least let some good come out of it? Would it be so terrible that someone who is stuck in a wheelchair might benefit from it?
I'm not a rich person, but after a friend of mine, Joseph died of cancer, I started donating to the American Cancer Society (after I got above my hatred for the medical profession). But now after hearing about Kathy's friend having to go to Canada and Reeves passing away because all these moral assholes don't give a shit about anyone else unless everyone agrees with them, I'm going to split up my small donation each year between the ACS and Reeves Foundation that sponsors Stem Cell Research and the continuing fight to make research available here in the U.S.
We can go half way around the world to liberate people that attack us more after we do, but we can't work on research that will benefit us and the entire world. Maybe if Bush sr. had been in a car accident instead of going to Iraq, Bush jr. might be fighting for the research instead.
