Last evening I went to a memorial service for a friend -- a 44 year old woman with a loving husband and two small children, one of whom has type 1 diabetes. She died of a brain tumor just three months after diagnosis.
As I do every few weeks, yesterday morning I went with my son to his appointment at a children's cancer and hematology clinic, where we spent the day hanging out with kids with cancer, leukemia, sickle cell and other diseases, and their families.
Another young friend died of pancreatic cancer on May 24, leaving his wonderful wife and their lovely 12 year old daughter behind.
Carnacki did a wonderful but terrifying Cancer Roll Call diary back on March 28 and we learned that virtually everyone at Daily Kos has been touched by cancer personally, often intimately.
Can you guess where I'm going with this?
Stem cell research.
The "president" has vetoed his third bill. Two of those three bills bring hope to millions of people. People with cancer. Alzheimer's. Sickle cell. Parkinson's. Spinal cord injuries. Brain injuries. Diabetes. Blood disorders.
Bush knows he's losing his base. He needs the evangelicals who actually voted for him in 2004, so he keeps vetoing stem cell research to show how religious he is. He did it last summer, when the Repugs had a majority, so that he could prove he was conservative enough to the fundies who think he's a liberal. He did it this week for the same reason. Mr. 28% needs to maintain that, at least. He's shown time and time again that the will of the people means nothing to him. But this time, we all suffer, even those to whom he gives those tax breaks and expensive contracts.
Tony Snow says:
It is an attempt, I think, to respect people's conscience on such an issue.
I reply:
Tell me, Tony Snow. Just whose consciences are we talking about?
Who the fuck do they think they are? How dare they tell me that a bunch of frozen blastocysts are worth more than my son?
My kid, along with all the children at the clinic where he's treated, is waiting for a cure. My family, my friends, everyone here is waiting for a cure for a beloved. Stem cell research holds that potential. That promise, however, will be broken if we don't have a President who will allow federal money to be spent to open up new lines. We cannot count only on the states with Governors and legislatures visionary enough and compassionate enough to provide funding -- or not ban funding -- to do the research (thank you California, Connecticut, Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Massachusetts (veto override!), Missouri and New Jersey).
If this site is about electing Democrats, and I know it is, then we must consider those who are ill, and those who may become ill. We have to fight for those who are too young to fight for themselves.
Stem cell research will expand only when a Democrat is in the White House. So when you're thinking about to whom you should throw your time, your support, and your money, remember. Remember my kid, your sister, your husband's father, our best friends. Remember these people. Then decide.
STEM CELL RESEARCH.
Crossposted at Cobalt6