I have been watching CBS about Children with cancer and I am mad as hell

[tnhatesbush]

at all the money that has been wasted by the Bush administration on this PHONEY, CRIMINAL war and all of these poor, beautiful children laying and suffering every day when money could be spent to find a cure for cancer and that no one, especially children should have to suffer unneedingly. I know that the Criminals in the White House are not the only ones to blame, but it is sad that it is 2004 and we cannot cure cancer and cannot have free healthcare for all. It just makes me sick.......

[Junkdrawer]

1. I'm a "recovering Catholic", but I still give to St. Judes...

Kids and cancer should not mix.

[sablescort]

2. I have to agree...

and it aint just cancer in kids but also birth defects like spina bifida (and I do know spina bifida cuz my daughter has it)

The Health Care system is totally fucked up several ways from Sunday. I am holding out hope the Kerry/Edwards administration will finally have a very sensible, practical and affordable health care system for us all not just the rich fat cats.

[kikiek]

3. I have read some articles that say that stem cell research has

stopped cancer in mice. But we won't be on top of that research either.

[CaTeacher]

4. This is very sad--and I too wish

that we would stop wasting $$$ on the military (we also spend too much on imprisoning people who should not be in prison--but that is another topic).

There is one thing though that I have to point out--I have a rant about scientific spending in general---what most people do not understand is that the rate at which science moves forward is not always directly related to the amount of money that we spend. Science moves forward in great leaps when someone has a great idea (this great idea does not necessarily originate in the field where it eventually becomes useful). The really good ideas can be utilized in multiple fields--and we see a huge leap forward in general scientific knowledge. When the really good ideas--are not being funded--we don't see leaps forward--no matter how much $$ we spend on our "special" areas of interest.

There is a tendency for us to want to spend spend spend on the most "popular" disease or proposed cures (AIDS, cancer, SCR etc). What I would like to see is more $$ that is not earmarked for a specific "sexy" research area--instead the experts (NIH etc) can look through a wide variety of research proposals and fund the best ideas. The benefit is that funding a really great idea that ends up being successful may end up advancing thousands of other fields in unforeseen ways. The really good ideas move EVERYONE forward. We are so narrow in our present approach--that it is no wonder we are not moving forward as quickly as we should.

[democratreformed]

6. Great analysis on scientific spending.

I love the thought of funding specific ideas instead of "areas". Science is exciting. The government should not be able to limit what might be achieved through research.

[Cleita]

5. This needs a kick.

:kick:

[Ilsa]

7. And I wonder how many of their health problems are caused

by environmental disease related to Republican's soft stance on polluters?

[MountainLaurel]

11. We'll never know

Because I'm pretty darn sure the U.S. government has made a conscious decision not to fully explore the role of industrial pollution in causing cancer and other diseases.

[DeepModem Mom]

8. kick

[area51]

9. And this is from a nazi administration...

... that claims it's "pro-life".

[Killarney]

10. couldn't agree more

:(