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Stem Cells: Why are progressive blogs AWOL?

I posted this on DailyKos as well, with the title, F@!& Net Neutrality - Let's Cure Alzheimers, Parkinsons, and Paralysis.  Maybe a little provocative -- but deliberately so.  Here's why...

If you had the chance -- even a small chance -- to cure Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, spinal cord injuries, and whole host of other ailments, would you work to make that happen? Would you send an email? Make a call? Tell your friends?  Write a few posts to stoke the fire?



Of course you would. If you're here, you're a progressive -- and that means you actually care about the world. Or you're a wingnut troll, who only cares about himself -- which means you'd still take that chance, out of pure self interest. Well guess what -- you've got that chance.

After a year of hemming and hawing, Senator Bill Frist announced last week that there will be a vote on HR 810, the bill to rescind President Bush's draconian restrictions on stem cell research. This is the single most important piece of stem cell research legislation we've seen in years.

On behalf of millions of people living with parkinsons, alzheimers, spinal cord injuries, and innumerable other conditions that could potentially be helped by stem cell research, I am begging you: PLEASE EMAIL YOUR SENATORS TODAY, AND ASK THEM TO VOTE "YES" ON HR 810.  After you're done with that, call them too.

AND IF YOU ARE A BLOGGER -- get off your ass, write some posts, spread the word, and keep fighting for this important cause.

Embryonic stem cell research is not a pipe dream -- it's the real deal. No one is promising cures right now, or even in weeks or months.  But scientists have already made astonishing progress in animal tests in treating spinal cord injuries. On numerous other fronts, there is also great promise for cures in "years" not "decades."

Unfortunately, this progress has been held up for 5 years by President Bush's restrictions on funding for this research.  This is not the only front in the right-wing "war on science," but it is the one that promises to cause the most "collateral damage."

So, why pick on net neutrality?  Well, because it has evoked passion like I've rarely seen in the blogosphere. That's all well and good, it's clearly an important issue, and the people fighting for it deserve major kudos for getting off their butts. All I'm asking is for people to focus that same passion on this issue -- or give me a good reason why it's not important. Think of the stakes. Think of the potential rewards. Think of family members afflicted with all the diseases that could potentially be helped by stem cell research.

Or check out the stories of real people suffering with these conditions.

The patient advocacy community is fighting hard for this research, but they can't win this fight alone. They are up against the array of resources and grassroots firepower of the right wing anti-choice movement -- which has made stem cell research a central front in its battle on freedom and reason.

Unfortunately, the progressive blogosphere and activist community has been AWOL throughout most of this fight.  Aside from precious few notable exceptions, the major progressive activist organizations have simply not engaged in this battle at all.  Not a bit.  Not even an email.

I don't get it.  Maybe someone can explain it better.  Maybe the issue is too complex to capture their attention.  Maybe the potential benefits sound too pie in the sky to be believed.

I don't get, and I don't know the reason.  But after a year in this battle, after meeting countless people who are counting the rest of their lives in months, after meeting people who can barely move -- but still fly across the country in hope of advancing this research.  After seeing what these people are doing, my question is...

...when are the rest of us going to get off our asses?

ww

July 3, 2006 at 08:32 AM | Permalink

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