Monday, October 11, 2004

Christopher Reeve

Many people died yesterday so why should we focus on the famous people; a similar question to when I sent well wishes to Melissa Etheridge. Well, the truth is we should value the non-famous with equal vigor to what we display for celebrities. However, a celebrity's illness or death can evoke strong responses and force issues to the forefront. I offer Lance Armstrong as Exhibit A.

Anyway, Christopher Reeve died yesterday. Mr. Reeve was a valiant warrior in search of answers for spinal injuries, and one battle he fought was for stem cell research. There might be cures at hand for spinal injuries, Alzheimer's and Parkinson's Disease and who knows what else. There are enormous issues in this campaign (Iraq, terrorism, the economy), but let's not let this one issue slip through the cracks. People are dying or suffering with terrible illnesses or injuries. What if cures are within the grasp of honest and wholly ETHICAL research?

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