Re: Thank you Ruth Weiner

[BLHamrick@AOL.COM]

In a message dated 3/26/2004 6:15:59 PM Pacific Standard Time, 

NiagaraNet@AOL.COM writes:

I suppose to pay these men who made some sacrifice by their very proximity to 

these sites and materials, even after the fact, in your opinion, is 

outlandish or somehow wrong. I beg to differ. If this makes me a "bleeding heart," I'm 

only glad I reside on this side of the compassion fenceline. I sleep at night.

Technically, I'm a "bleeding heart" on most issues...But, I don't "get" this 

one.  What was the sacrifice?  If there's no definitive connection between the 

work and the disease, then how are these people any different than the other 

half million that die of cancer every year?



You do realize that the primary preventable factors contributing to cancer 

and other chronic disease are firsthand smoke, alcohol abuse, poor nutrition, 

lack of physical activity and also a lack of access to preventive health care 

(preventing early diagnosis), right?  Perhaps the gabillions we spend on 

cleaning up every last atom of whatever is the toxin of the day would be better spent 

on providing universal healthcare.  I would wager we'd save more people in a 

year than more stringent environmental regulation would save in twenty.



Barbara