Posted by Robin Harrison on April 26, 1998 at 10:47:50:
In Reply to: Re: Islet Foundation conflict of interest? posted by Colleen kacerosky on April 25, 1998 at 20:49:44:
"As you know that comment was made in response to an e-mail i had read from a gentlemen named steve where some quite inflammatory comments were thrown around."
No Colleen, what I commented on were public messages between you and Steve Santen. If you wish to chastise someone who has demonstrated his sterling character and integrity here on many occassions without invoking responses from other readers, you'd be wise to learn the difference between public messages vs. private email and exercise your privacy option.
"I will state again that that sort of thing only slows the process of finding a cure and weakens the diabetic community as a whole."
Sorry m'dear, but I don't belong to the "all ideas are equal" school of logical fallacy, nor the Rodney King "Can't we all just get along?" academy. In my view, it strengthens, rather than "weakens" the efforts of a coalition when it's members are able to take a critical look at who is supporting their efforts and who is actively working to tear them down. I find it neither "shocking" nor "embarrassing" when disingenuous spiders on recruiting expeditions find themselves trapped in the self-spun web of their own intellectual dishonesty. I applaud people like Steve, Dennis Jerome, and SandyD who are willing to take a stand against the counterproductive and desctructive behavior of certain individals. If you feel inclined to defend, shield, or support foundations that actively solicits healthy diabetics for inclusion on a pancreas transplant list; or those that are up to their necks in disreputable research, by all means, do so. But, you won't get me to promise I won't speak my mind about them on public message boards.
"As far as my asking you to jump onto a band wagon and throw support behind anything i suggest that you re read my e-mail and you may find that it was simply providing information that i had received through Eisenhower Diabetes Center on a source of information on developments in finding a cure."
I must've missed the place where you said "I'm unfamiliar with this organization, has anyone heard of it?" It seems reasonable to assume that if you've been calling Eisenhower, it's to check on the VivoRx research. Judging from the "pass the buck" information you seem to be receiving, I'm getting a pretty clear insight into the one VivoRx/Eisenhower apparently doesn't have regarding their promised clinical trials.
"Dr. javanovich is new to this facility and perhaps has nothing to do with past problems."
If Dr. Jovanovitch wishes to be perceived as having "nothing to do with past problems," I'd suggest that SBDP update the "Our Research" page:
"Sansum Medical Research Foundation has been one of the leaders in the transplantation procedure. In 1993, the Foundation's scientists collaborated with Russian researchers to develop different methods of cell delivery and cell preparation.
Transplantation of pancreatic islets was performed at the Foundation on forty-seven patients in 1993. Evaluation of results continues. Although patients have not yet been able to stop their injections, some temporarily lowered their insulin dependency by 50%."
"Read the document before you become upset and attack the messenger."
Upset? I suggest *you* read more carefully. After close to 40 years on the planet, a hot exchange on an internet message board is low on my list of things that "upset" me- especially when I've been reading the handwriting on the wall all along. You see, I do "read the information," much of it and then some before most people have ever heard or thought about it. I believe that "the messenger" should carefully research and consider the messages he/she seeks to deliver prior to public posting. Anything that has been posted publicly is fair game from that moment on.
Although I respect the existence of every individual I come in contact with, the messages I read with respect contain sound logic and solid reasoning. If one is seeking warm fuzzies or emotional gratification, I'm not the person to turn to. Market research indicates that those politicians and bureacrats I deal with regularly are unmoved by the postcard of me hugging a teddy bear.
Robin "take no prisoners" Harrison