Re: Picture this...

["ruth_weiner" <ruth_weiner@email.msn.com>]

Thank you Michael Stabin.


Ruth Weiner
ruth_weiner@msn.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Michael Stabin <stabin@npd.ufpe.br>
To: Multiple recipients of list <radsafe@romulus.ehs.uiuc.edu>
Date: Wednesday, April 12, 2000 11:10 AM
Subject: Picture this...


>Dan Strom wrote:
>
>> Since 1980, I have been alarmed at HPS members who think that "radiation
>> protection" means protecting radiation's good name from the anti's rather
>than
>> protecting humankind and the environment from the harmful effects of
>radiation.
>
>Dan, I appreciate your point, but I don't see so much paranoia and being
>"anti the anti's" as I see reactions to simply outrageous statements.
>Statements which, if heeded, threaten needlessly to remove valuable
>technologies such as power production or food irradiation from society.  If
>a group of wackos was claiming that we should immediately halt all
>gallbladder surgeries because of the risk of rusty scalpels killing
hundreds
>of thousand of Americans, I would expect surgeons to step up to the mike
and
>say "That's ridiculous.  We know how, and routinely do use properly
>sterilized equipment ,and these risks are under control." If those surgeons
>sat quietly by and left all our citizens to suffer with gallstones because
>of such statements, that would be a moral failing. Similarly, when
>anti-nukes say not just things we don't agree with, but make outrageously
>incorrect inferences and extrapolations, I think it is our moral
>responsibility to say what is right, if we know what is right, and assist
in
>the leading of our society to economically, morally, technologically, and
>socially correct decisions. I think we can do our jobs well AND participate
>in public debate when necessary, and I suggest furthemore we have some
>responsibility to do so.
>
>(BTW, I know that gallbladder surgery is currently done more with lasers
>than with scalpels, my wife had that surgery.)
>
>
>Michael Stabin, PhD, CHP
>Departamento de Energia Nuclear/UFPE
>Av. Prof. Luiz Freire, 1000 - Cidade Universitaria
>CEP 50740 - 540
>Recife - PE
>Brazil
>Phone 55-81-271-8251 or 8252 or 8253
>Fax  55-81-271-8250
>E-mail stabin@npd.ufpe.br
>
>"Quantum Mechanics: The dreams stuff is made of"
>- Steven Wright
>
>
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