Saturday, October 28, 2006
Please Read This
A person I don't know, or have ever heard of, wrote the following to me in a comment on my last entry. I have since decided to moderate comments so that they all need to come through me before being posted. I chose to put them here so that I could mention a few things with regard to them. Please note that they are mean spirited and maybe a bit startling to some people. I hope you understand why I'm doing this.
I'm glad this was written; someone had to point out some of these things. It's unfortunate there isn't more tact in the world, but then this is the internet and these comments were sent via a faceless, sterile computer not much different than the one you're reading this with. You don't even have to know how to spell to use it.
Some of the facts mentioned might be valid, but my blog isn't a discussion about cancer itself. That said, it does give me a good opportunity to touch on some things.
I gave a ton of thought to the fact that cancer can't be cured by any individual effort. I thought about the fact that the American Cancer Society is a HUGE nonprofit with millions of dollars in their budget; did I want to support that? I researched the Society, even attended a conference they held with some of their researchers working on DNA. Few nonprofits are able to get 100% of their donations to their cause, but the ACS is as good a place to put your filantrophy as any. And they have a great name and network to back them. They have a website I could use to orchestrate my fundriasing while I'm on the road.
My biggest disquietude while planning this fundraiser was the fact that there will be few true 'cures' for cancer. I worked for the Environmental Protection Agency for almost three years. My main assignment was reducing emissions from diesel engines. Diesel emissions have been found to carcinogenic. Does anyone in the world fool themselves to think that we'll see diesel engines go away in our lifetime? Does anyone in the world fool themselves to think that preservatives in food will go away? That we'll stop using fertilizer and pesticide on our crops? Dyes in our clothes? Of course not. These things will be around messing with our physiology for centuries, maybe causing cancer or other serious diseases. But we enjoy them - they make our lives run, they are the backbone of our modern society.
The rantings of the person who wrote that comment are those of a person who is out of touch with the reality of the world in which in we need to feed over 6 million people. I don't like eating preservatives. I don't like excessive packaging. I don't even like fluorescent lights. But I have to eat, I have to be a productive member of my society - in whatever capacity I define that.
It has occurred to me that I could choose to find a place in the world where the air quality is pristine and the growing season is 10 months long. I could establish a farm, buy some organic cows and chickens, organic seeds and live there. Total isolation from the world going on around me, bliss. I could choose to let the world have its pollution, it's packaging and fluorescent lights. My little clean, disease and cancer free world to myself.
Then one day I'd get cancer. What would I do? Sit and let the disease take me over and kill me slowly? I would be somewhere dying wondering if I should have done a fundraiser when I was younger.
Or maybe some day I'd have kids, because I'm destined to be a dad someday.
Do you think for even a second that my kid(s) would choose to live on that farm for the rest of their lives too? Do you think it's fair that I keep my kids on that farm to keep them away from the rest of the world and cancer and other diseases and famines and cars? Should I keep them in the shade their whole lives to avoid melanoma? When/if they get cancer, I would be wondering if I should have done a fundraiser when I was younger.
Yes, I agree cancer is exacerbated by pollution and other human conventions. No, I don't think my efforts will single-handedly cure cancer. But I am a productive member of the society which I have made a conscious decision to be a part of. I'm expanding minds in a positive way along the way. This fundraiser is only one small thing I'm doing as a weak mortal who might die of cancer one day myself.
I chose to use the internet to share my experiences with people all over the country, most of whom I have never met. Shame on me for not moderating the comments. Shame on the world for fostering negativity that has to erupt and spill out of a person, scalding all in their presence.
Please be aware that my ride has not been a poor-me effort or anything unrealistic in terms of curing cancer. I'm just dealing with death and dying and a pervasive disease that is overwhelming on a personal scale. I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear to those of you have maybe only read my blog one time or so.
-Andrew
Cancer is a man made disease, the phyicisians in the 1700 and 1800 never________________________________
reported a single case of Cancer, malignent or binine...It was not till the
inversion of the internal combustion engine did the first few cases of Malignent
tumors, cancer tumers apear in the medicial jornals. It was after the first
atomic testings were performed in the new mexico desert in 1940 did Cancer start
showing up in large quantitys of people.
There are many other cases
of Radialactive fallout that will also increase the affects of geneologicaly
inherited cancers...
Radition mutates right?
There was a Russian
satallite that fell from space with a soccor ball size of radialactive plutonium
aboard, burnt up in reentry and spred radiation over most of northen Canada and
Russia, the dust traveled world wide.
Polution-preservitives.
Thining of the ozone layer. Led, copper, tin, mercury all found in most ocean
foods.
I have family that have died from cancer, and I would just
like to state that we have made little to no headway in cancer...they say we
have, but if that was true they would be asking for money all the time. Cancer
is still killing people, there is still no cure, and no cure in sight. Since
Terry Fox ran aross Canada in the late 80's for cancer, we still have no cure
for the bone cancer terry died from, nore breast, ovarian, testicular, lung,
brain, or any of the other major organs, they will tell you that their trements
have improved, but its only marginal in reality...
What makes you
think YOUR efforts are going to make a difference? Terry fox's efforts did
nothing. Jim henderson who also did a poorme-othon, his efforts did what for us?
The cure for cancer is easy!!! return the planet back to its origanal
state...thats it. No more cars, or burning of fuels, andthing that was made
after say oh 1600 we just dont use.. no plastic or modern dyes. For christ sake
every day you wake up and eat you Special K... or any other cereal, your eating
Herpys and aids medication...next to cancer drugs are they not the most powerful
drugs on the market?? So while your fighting for cancer, your body is trying to
deal with the packaging cemical from kellogs, which mind you was first created
to treat herpys and aids...not preserve you cereal....
Good luck,
this time next year, your efforts will of proven fruitless...for everyone person
that you get to care, there are 10 that could care less...
I'm glad this was written; someone had to point out some of these things. It's unfortunate there isn't more tact in the world, but then this is the internet and these comments were sent via a faceless, sterile computer not much different than the one you're reading this with. You don't even have to know how to spell to use it.
Some of the facts mentioned might be valid, but my blog isn't a discussion about cancer itself. That said, it does give me a good opportunity to touch on some things.
I gave a ton of thought to the fact that cancer can't be cured by any individual effort. I thought about the fact that the American Cancer Society is a HUGE nonprofit with millions of dollars in their budget; did I want to support that? I researched the Society, even attended a conference they held with some of their researchers working on DNA. Few nonprofits are able to get 100% of their donations to their cause, but the ACS is as good a place to put your filantrophy as any. And they have a great name and network to back them. They have a website I could use to orchestrate my fundriasing while I'm on the road.
My biggest disquietude while planning this fundraiser was the fact that there will be few true 'cures' for cancer. I worked for the Environmental Protection Agency for almost three years. My main assignment was reducing emissions from diesel engines. Diesel emissions have been found to carcinogenic. Does anyone in the world fool themselves to think that we'll see diesel engines go away in our lifetime? Does anyone in the world fool themselves to think that preservatives in food will go away? That we'll stop using fertilizer and pesticide on our crops? Dyes in our clothes? Of course not. These things will be around messing with our physiology for centuries, maybe causing cancer or other serious diseases. But we enjoy them - they make our lives run, they are the backbone of our modern society.
The rantings of the person who wrote that comment are those of a person who is out of touch with the reality of the world in which in we need to feed over 6 million people. I don't like eating preservatives. I don't like excessive packaging. I don't even like fluorescent lights. But I have to eat, I have to be a productive member of my society - in whatever capacity I define that.
It has occurred to me that I could choose to find a place in the world where the air quality is pristine and the growing season is 10 months long. I could establish a farm, buy some organic cows and chickens, organic seeds and live there. Total isolation from the world going on around me, bliss. I could choose to let the world have its pollution, it's packaging and fluorescent lights. My little clean, disease and cancer free world to myself.
Then one day I'd get cancer. What would I do? Sit and let the disease take me over and kill me slowly? I would be somewhere dying wondering if I should have done a fundraiser when I was younger.
Or maybe some day I'd have kids, because I'm destined to be a dad someday.
Do you think for even a second that my kid(s) would choose to live on that farm for the rest of their lives too? Do you think it's fair that I keep my kids on that farm to keep them away from the rest of the world and cancer and other diseases and famines and cars? Should I keep them in the shade their whole lives to avoid melanoma? When/if they get cancer, I would be wondering if I should have done a fundraiser when I was younger.
Yes, I agree cancer is exacerbated by pollution and other human conventions. No, I don't think my efforts will single-handedly cure cancer. But I am a productive member of the society which I have made a conscious decision to be a part of. I'm expanding minds in a positive way along the way. This fundraiser is only one small thing I'm doing as a weak mortal who might die of cancer one day myself.
I chose to use the internet to share my experiences with people all over the country, most of whom I have never met. Shame on me for not moderating the comments. Shame on the world for fostering negativity that has to erupt and spill out of a person, scalding all in their presence.
Please be aware that my ride has not been a poor-me effort or anything unrealistic in terms of curing cancer. I'm just dealing with death and dying and a pervasive disease that is overwhelming on a personal scale. I'm sorry I didn't make that more clear to those of you have maybe only read my blog one time or so.
-Andrew
# posted by Andrew Bascue @ 5:26 PM 
Comments:
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Andrew - First let me say your efforts are noble in heart, I'll gve you that, second, some of my spelling mistakes are due to three things: One I have a sticky key board and will mis a letter from time to time, second, I think so fast that it it too hard to type as fast as my brain can think...and third, I can't spell :) hahaha!
Anyways My letter* to you was not to offend or throw you from your path. The letter way to point out that dispite fact that the American Cancer Society is a HUGE nonprofit with millions of dollars in their budget; ...its the fact that they do, but have given nothing back, how many millions of dollars should we waste, how many years shall we pour money into a so called, NO PROFIT organisation that claims to have millions in within...they should have NOTHING with in...it should all be in the hands of cancer researchers...their organization should be worth nothing past the paycheck of the enployee if there are any in a no profit organisation...
The facts that I stated about the medical journals in the early part of the 17 and 18 hundreds is based on a documentry I had seen on A&E, detailing cancer and its growth and developing mutations through out the ages. There was one or two cases of cancer in the 18 hundreds, proving that Doctors knew of it, but it was not a wide spread disease like it is today.
If one was to gather medical documents like this show did, you could prove, and show acttual evidence of this.
The MIS information the Government and agencys like the above said spew out is rediculess...When my wifes Mother died of cancer we talked to the Doctor about treatment. He informed us that the average is 80%. That is death. 80% of the people that take kemotheropy, radiactive drugs, die. Great odds Doc, so again why are we giving kemo?
As far as varifying any of this simple do an internet search on TERRY FOX cancer meraton across canada in the 80's. He had bone cancer in his leg if you know the story, and Jim henerson was in a wheel chair and rode across canada for the same reason. Cancer fundraiser. Well my friend since Terry Fox, Jim Hernerson, Since the Death of MY mother from cancer and my wifes Mother from cancer...they still ahve no cure in sight for Terrys Type of Cancer or Jims, or the Lung, brain, kindney, liver cancers my Mother and my wifes mother did died from....so again why should I or anyone support the reseach that drains million of dollars as you say, from the economy, the money does not cure cancer... Terry, Jim and both our moms have proved that...and everyone els that died today from Cancer.
Anyways My letter* to you was not to offend or throw you from your path. The letter way to point out that dispite fact that the American Cancer Society is a HUGE nonprofit with millions of dollars in their budget; ...its the fact that they do, but have given nothing back, how many millions of dollars should we waste, how many years shall we pour money into a so called, NO PROFIT organisation that claims to have millions in within...they should have NOTHING with in...it should all be in the hands of cancer researchers...their organization should be worth nothing past the paycheck of the enployee if there are any in a no profit organisation...
The facts that I stated about the medical journals in the early part of the 17 and 18 hundreds is based on a documentry I had seen on A&E, detailing cancer and its growth and developing mutations through out the ages. There was one or two cases of cancer in the 18 hundreds, proving that Doctors knew of it, but it was not a wide spread disease like it is today.
If one was to gather medical documents like this show did, you could prove, and show acttual evidence of this.
The MIS information the Government and agencys like the above said spew out is rediculess...When my wifes Mother died of cancer we talked to the Doctor about treatment. He informed us that the average is 80%. That is death. 80% of the people that take kemotheropy, radiactive drugs, die. Great odds Doc, so again why are we giving kemo?
As far as varifying any of this simple do an internet search on TERRY FOX cancer meraton across canada in the 80's. He had bone cancer in his leg if you know the story, and Jim henerson was in a wheel chair and rode across canada for the same reason. Cancer fundraiser. Well my friend since Terry Fox, Jim Hernerson, Since the Death of MY mother from cancer and my wifes Mother from cancer...they still ahve no cure in sight for Terrys Type of Cancer or Jims, or the Lung, brain, kindney, liver cancers my Mother and my wifes mother did died from....so again why should I or anyone support the reseach that drains million of dollars as you say, from the economy, the money does not cure cancer... Terry, Jim and both our moms have proved that...and everyone els that died today from Cancer.
BTY: I had seen on the T.V the other day.. H.P.V Human papalona Virus...a virus that causes cancer...
The poor-me-o-thon comment is not a direct did to you, it is a gerernalised comment about funraisers in general....HAY! what ever happened to the Bandaid or live aid or live8..I thought we where all going to "STAMP OUT POVERTY" wan't that the sloggen. I've been watching this since I was a kid, the sloggen changes from time to time, but the end result is still the same...there is still aids, still cancer, and we did not stamp out world poverty...This is not me being negitive...this is me simply stating facts...the truth. I'm sorry that it hurts...I'm sorry we where all lied too.. no matter how many years pass, no matter how much money you raise, there will allways be cancer, aids and some other uncurealbe disease....Jesues said.."there will always be the poor".. and we know where there are poor, there is disease.
Sorry for the spelling mistakes, thats Jesus Said...bla bla,
(Sorry Pagans for the crude reference.)
(Sorry Pagans for the crude reference.)
Thank you Andrew, for your comments on Samwhatsoever's comments. If we just gave up and said cancer will never be cured so why should we bother, then we might as well all shoot ourselves in the head and get it over with. I doubt that anyone in this world has a greater interest in finding a cure for "big C" than I do, because my family has lost so many to this horrible disease and I watched many of them go through it. In order I have lost: aunt; uncle; Brother; uncle; Father; Mother; grand nephew (13 months old); oldest niece; uncle. Do not ever be disheartened by comments like his. I agree totally with your approving comments being placed on your blog. I have a website and you wouldn't believe the crap people try to put in the guestbook. I manually approve everything that goes in it.
Good luck on the completion of your journey - and you will get a hero's welcome when you return to Oregon.
Neysa Zurkammer
Cottage Grove, OR
Good luck on the completion of your journey - and you will get a hero's welcome when you return to Oregon.
Neysa Zurkammer
Cottage Grove, OR
# posted by 
: 11:58 AM
: 11:58 AM
If one single candle is lit and the flame passed on many candles illuminate the darkness. If the candle is blown out, the light is not passed on. Where there is light there is hope for change. Drew all your friends new and old thank you for passing on the light of hope. Joe F
# posted by : 6:05 AM
: 6:05 AM
Hey Sam,
Have you ever conducted scientific research? The process is quite lengthy and involves lots of trial, error and money. Understanding what makes a living body function, repair itself and evolve is not cut and dry as say an automobile engine. Every person has a different bodily response to chemicals. Look at any toxicology study and this will become apparent, and not one seen on TV, actually peer reviewed scientific journal information. The fact that you discredit the field of medical research is quite astounding! We are humans and have been given brains to think and solve problems. Not ignore them. Our race evolves on dreams that turn into goals and then into a reality. Sure there have been costly mistakes along the way, we are human, not gods, and can not predict the outcome or use of scientific break troughs. I do not like arguing on the internet where one hides behind the sanctuary of a computer screen. But I have to say that the thought of giving up hope and dreams of a better future will not make you go very far, and is quite a narrow minded and selfish decision. We are here to live for our future generations, and to try and make the world a better place. Therefore, in my view Andrew’s fundraising achievement is extremely honorable.
Chris Schauffele
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Have you ever conducted scientific research? The process is quite lengthy and involves lots of trial, error and money. Understanding what makes a living body function, repair itself and evolve is not cut and dry as say an automobile engine. Every person has a different bodily response to chemicals. Look at any toxicology study and this will become apparent, and not one seen on TV, actually peer reviewed scientific journal information. The fact that you discredit the field of medical research is quite astounding! We are humans and have been given brains to think and solve problems. Not ignore them. Our race evolves on dreams that turn into goals and then into a reality. Sure there have been costly mistakes along the way, we are human, not gods, and can not predict the outcome or use of scientific break troughs. I do not like arguing on the internet where one hides behind the sanctuary of a computer screen. But I have to say that the thought of giving up hope and dreams of a better future will not make you go very far, and is quite a narrow minded and selfish decision. We are here to live for our future generations, and to try and make the world a better place. Therefore, in my view Andrew’s fundraising achievement is extremely honorable.
Chris Schauffele
# posted by : 10:50 AM
: 10:50 AM << Home
