Another fine example of the tyranny of religious fanaticism.

[theivoryqueen]

OP-ED COLUMNIST
The Big Chill at the Lab
By BOB HERBERT

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A list of nearly 200 scientific researchers has been compiled and given to federal officials by the Traditional Values Coalition, a conservative group that goes wild over gay issues and federal funding of research related to human sexuality.

The list, which has sent a chill through some researchers, is being used by the coalition and its government allies in attempts to discredit the researchers and challenge or revoke their federal grants. It's a sloppy, dangerous and wildly inaccurate list, put together by people who are freaked out by the content of the studies, and unconcerned about their value

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http://www.nytimes.com/2003/11/03/opinion/03HERB.html

****After listening to political talk shows deride the state of political discourse and pretty much place blame EVENLY on both "sides" of the political spectrum (conservative vs. liberals) -the glaring difference between so-called "conservatives" and liberals is precisely this: Liberals will listen to other opinions or views... and keep an open mind. That’s one of the hallmarks. Religious zealots do not even pretend thoughtfulness. Their only goal is to convert, or barring that, to eliminate those who do not share their beliefs.

I get hugely sick of hearing people pretend that RWF's (Right Wing Fanatics)have anything positive to say.

The new "remember the alamo" is:
Remember Grover Norquist: Bi-partisanship is date-rape!!!

[arwalden]

1. Christian Fundamentalists Are Dangerous

and unfortunately they are unduly influential. They are a loud and organized minority... giving lawmakers and policy makers the impression that they speak for most Americans.

What bullshit.

[theivoryqueen]

2. very true

and very unfortunate. I cannot understand how people who are educated and have gone through all they must to gain office would allow a group of blatently looney zealots to influence them. Even for money. But apparently the fear of targeting by these groups is real, and it is spreading.

[Racenut20]

6. Especially When one of them is the Attorney General

[rac6]

3. A scary quote

"We never said any grant on there was bad," said Ms. Lafferty. But she said she wanted to know why the grants were being funded, and why so many had to do with H.I.V. and AIDS.

This from somebody who almost certainly has no understanding of science or medicine. My guess is that this "compassionate conservative" thinks AIDS is God's punishment for bad behavior. It seems that their ultimate goal is the elimination of any HIV/AIDS research. Yet another dangerous sign of the direction these truly warped people are trying to take our country.

[theivoryqueen]

5. A scary bunch of people!!

Intolerance and religion seem to go hand in hand these days. Why it has gotten so extreme is beyond me. I thought religion was supposed to make you feel good about yourself and others - like a mental massage. What kind of poisonous message are these people listening to on sundays?

[Grins]

11. This was mine..

She insisted that the coalition does not oppose research on H.I.V. and AIDS, but added, "How many times do you have to study something to find out how to stop the spread of AIDS?"
Uh, maybe when you actually have stopped the spread of AIDS...?

This is intimidation and it's scary. If she truly wanted to know the purpose of the Grants, she could have gone on the web herself and looked them up! It’s public information and the solicitations are published. They have the government’s basis for the Grants. The fact that an organized group that hates this research did it personally makes it intimidation.

The big fear, for me at least, is that AIDS is spreading into China and the Pacific Rim at an alarming rate. “Asia-Pacific region has become the area with the fastest growing HIV infection rate. At the end of 2001, of the 40 million surviving HIV infected people worldwide, 7.1 million were from the Asia and Pacific region.” <http://fpeng.peopledaily.com.cn/200202/08/eng20020208_90161.shtml>

The other problem in this region is that of TB: “…the region has the highest number of people with TB in the world. Among the 23 countries with high rates of TB, 11 are in the Asia and Pacific region.”

Why is this important?

TB is “…a disease that has proven to be a major (and in some places, the largest) co-infection problem among HIV-infected persons in all countries with established HIV epidemics. This TB co-infection problem is compounded by the clear demonstration in several studies that HIV and TB each accelerate the clinical progression of the other infection. Currently, few links exist between TB and HIV programs at any level within China. Persons under treatment for active TB are not routinely tested for HIV. Although some HIV-infected persons may have their TB status assessed, this step is not yet a routine component of clinical care for HIV infection. TB clinics or TB patients are not yet included among China’s current sentinel surveillance populations for HIV.”
<http://www.usembassy-china.org.cn/sandt/ptr/CDCAssessment-prt.htm>

OK. Big deal. The big deal is that the U.S., and much of North America, do business and have set up factories in China to a much greater degree than Africa. We travel back and forth with regularity. Asians are in our Universities, businesses, and our daily living.

Remember SARS? Try a China with an big AIDS problem, that jump-starts TB, that comes to North America, with a new strain - a form of which our current antibiotics cannot defend against. You’d think that Republicans would be concerned over the decimation of economies due to these diseases. The economic fallout from SARS will be nothing compared to this one if we don’t stop it.

[camero]

4. I fear we may be in for another holocaust

I was thinking about an article I read a couple of years ago about the danger of another holocaust happening through science and religion.

The article (can't remember the name of it) stated that the rise of religious fundamentalism combined with the melting together, of business, science, medicine and religion would create the conditions to kill or just let die millions of people. Much like the Nazi Era and the dark ages.

The other day, I was thinking about my own treatment by the health care community and I realized that this is exactly what is happening.

Medicine, religion, and science have all become a business, with no Hippocratic oath or code of ethics, only adherence to the almighty dollar.

Alot of my friends in thier 30s are coming down with life-threatening diseases and everything is getting blamed on lifestyle. There is no hard look at the role environmental toxins play on any disease anymore. I believe this is obvious conservative blame the victim mentality and a bait and switch scheme by the scientific community to deflect blame from the Establishment.

So, it doesn't much surprise me that RW religious groups are trying to tell the scientific community what they can research and what they cannot. It fits right in with the grand plan.

[theivoryqueen]

7. surely most adults would agree

that science (especially medicine) and religion do not mix, and must not mix. Religion is "spritual" while science is purely rational, logical examinations of the Physical. Period, no overlap.

[camero]

8. I agree also

My point was they are all being turned into a business. Also I am hearing more about doctors using thier religion to influence thier practice, which goes against traditional mores.

[joefree1]

9. Or another apartheid?

I read the history of apartheid in South Africa a couple of years ago and I was struck by the similarity of creeping Fundamentalism in this country and the growth of apartheid in South Africa. The Afrikaners took their time and slowly took over South Africa from the British. By the time the liberals there realized what was happening it was too late.

"It's not over 'till Arnold gropes the fat lady" —Bill Press, on MSNBC

http://www.recallarnoldwatch.org

[camero]

10. Quite possibly

Either is a real danger when we have this mix.

[zonmoy]

12. if this isnt proof

that science and religion must be separate what is.

[Avalon Sparks]

13. Back to the Dark Ages...

Science has to suffer when the know-nothings come traipsing through the laboratories, infecting the research with their religious beliefs and political ideologies.


NO SHIT~!