John Edwards: 'When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk. Get up out of that wheelchair and walk again'...

The whole stem cell issue is pandering and playing on emotions . Medical science can cure less the 1/10th of 1% of all known diseases. It cannot even cure the common cold but it will repair the central nervous system in 4 years?
Are people really that stupid even if they want to believe? I have a father in law paralyzed witha brutal form of MS and I knowthat the chances that it will be cured in my lifetime are very remote. However much I would love to have him stand up and fish with his grandkids that is reality.

You are ignorant on this issue.

Do the research before you open your gob.

...apparently less ignorant than Edwards\Kerry.

How about you explain the link between embryonic stem cell research and spinal cord problems?

":explain the link between embryonic stem cell research and spinal cord problems"

It's all theroetical at this point for any medical issue . Researchers jockying for grants to do the foundation research. Selling today based on a promise in the future. Jerry Lewis and MD are proof of how it works.

I agree wholeheartedly king! In fact... let's go one step further... Let's end medical research ALTOGETHER! We're never gonna cure the right diseases and after all it's just a way for liberal / socialist researchers to suck off of the teet of the Federal government right?

Where would we be today if Jonas Salk thought the way you do... :rolleyes: :rolleyes:

PP - Embryonic stem cells can transform into any type of cell, and can replicate easily. The thought is that one day (soon) we'll be able to generate spinal cord tissue with them and thereby repair damaged spinal cord cells (which, like heart cells, don't regenerate.)

p.s. I gotta feelin' a smart feller like yerself already knew the answer to the question posed above.

4salt,

I never said stop anything. I said it was a lie that in 4 years stem cell research would advance to the point the we would be able to regenerate damaged central nervous systems. I doubt it would happen in our life time if ever. People are prying on people need to believe on this issue. I remember the same promise in the mid 1980 re: aids. Here we are in 2004 wheres the cure? The only reason I ever supported AIDS research was the emotionalism attached to it at the time would advance all viral research. The cure for aids is simple.

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4 Salt,

Do you know where some of the medical research that Jonas Salk used to help him develope the polio vaccine came from?

But here's the thing king... HOPE (false or otherwise) is a major component of the recovery process. If all those with cancer, AIDS, Spinal cord injuries etc... resigned themselves to the fact that it's gonna take years (if at all) to find a cure, then what's the point of fighting?

If we always take the reality pessimistic approach, and don't believe that we can find cures quickly, then we also run the risk of losing our brightest, most ambitious researchers to other pursuits. After all... why do I want to devote my life to finding a cure for AIDS when 'ol king says: "It aint gonna happen in your lifetime."

Edit:

Rory - Yes, it came from his earlier work studying a dead-virus cure for influenza, and from his work with the National Institute for Infantile Paralysis. I was merely using Salk as one example of someone who didn't just say "oh well... guess it's gonna take me a long while to develop this vaccine."

4salt,

You can have hope with out it being a lie and the tuth is never pessimistic. BTW I know 2 researchers specfically in the feild of aids. They tell me it may never happen because of the virus' abiltiy to mutate faster than we can deal with it. That the most we can hope for is longer life and beter quality of life.

Edwards Stem Cell Vision:

'We will stop juvenile diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and other debilitating diseases...
When John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.' Edwards made the unprecedented campaign promises during 30-minute speech at Newton High School gym in Newton, Iowa...
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Hallelujah!!!!

And I say you're as full of sh!t as they are making such a statement. How the hell could you possibly know this?

You can't, and claiming you have some crystal ball which gives you foresight nobody else has is almost comical. Get over yourself.

WTF do you know about stem cell research anyway? Leading researcher in that field along with being Supreme Court Justice, CEO of a Fortune 500 company, Theologian, and Economist too, are you?

Tell us again how it's better to destroy the tissue, or keep it frozen forever than it would be to TRY to save people's lives with it. Go ahead, this brilliant response shouldn't take long.

4salt, I live with the reality every day and the truth has never stopped my FIL once. He was supposed to be dead 5 years ago. Instead of clinging to a false hope of a cure he has a a real goal of seeing his kids and grandkids and wife the next day. Being involved with MS for 15 years now I am in the high 90% range it will never be cured just treated.

Hey Dan put your money where you mouth is then. Sell the house the car everything and invest in a company doing stem cell research to cure spinal cord injuries. Let me know how much money you have left in 4 years. If you can find a phone in tent city. My roomate in college was diagnosed with Diabetes in 1979. they told him then that they would have the disease cured in less than ten years with gene therapy,insulin pumps or even panceatic transplants. He still give himself two injections a day. If you are such a believer that it is the holy grail of medicine how much are you giving ? Very little I would imagine. Oh thats right you are so sure about it you want the tax payers to cover the bill so you can go fishing as much as possible.

Gawd, what a stupid argument, Elvis! Why don't you sell your organic mushroom commune and donate the enitire $7.53 to the GOP for Bush's re-selection if you support him so fervently. Why don't you sell everything you own and donate it to the war cause if you honestly believe it will keep America safer?

I told you before you should have just stopped when you had a few here convinced you actually knew what you were talking about. But you insisted on continuing to post and have now removed all doubt that you are indeed clueless. :rolleyes:

Your black and white world equates to an irrational man on the cusp of insanity. But you're in good company; Zarqawi and Bush are both described as viewing the world as black and white.

If they can bring Christopher Reeves back out of his wheel chair it'll be devine intervention as they still haven't brought Houdini back from the otherside either.

At this point and time I don't think stem cell or any other kind of research will do him much good.

Although he might just be able vote for sKerry just like those other residents from beyond voted for both Gore in the last election and Mayor Daily in Chicago over the years.

Way to show some empathy there TK.

jeffed,

You mean like Kerry edwards that pounced on Reeves death for political gain?

Harley,

I bet you have scrunchies in many colors one for everyside of the issues you straddle.

Maybe Edwards did go too far with his comments. What I find interesting about Reeves is that he didn't sit back and feel sorry for himself. He fought for a cause and fought the status quo. In fact, I believe it was reported that he recently was in contact with Kerry because he knows which candidate(s) have the best chance to bring about hope and progress in this area. George Bush chose to align himself with the far right Christian conservatives and turn his back on this issue.

He turned his back on nothing. He is the only president to fund embryo stem cell research . He has taken a position of letting the people disscuss the ethics and decide for themselves when and if to proceed. Instead of letting a minority opinion drive an agenda. Kerry is a master of walking the fence and having two opinions about every issue. He is a supposed devout catholic which makes his choice on the matter clear yet he supports it. Some say Reagan turned his back on the AIDs issue they said at the time that millions would die because of it. As it turns out millions died and reagans choice had nothing to do with it. They still die today 20+ years later. The fruits of this research are a very long ways away and there are no guaranteees. It should be a very minor issue in the campaign. The only reason it is an issue at all is to point the finger at Bush being a Christian and nothing to do with the issue. If it where a real issue and viable it would move into the private sector and move forward.

When did they do that king? Best as I can recall, the VP debate and Bush vs. Kerry part 2 happened last week... and Chris Reeve didn't pass on till the weekend?

Must be that grasp on reality you have givin' you trouble again...