It Burns!
The Republican Senator from my home state, who once joked about how hard it is to live out in D.C. "with all those niggers," is now positioned to kill a bill supported by a majority in both houses. Why? Well, the lousy bill would prohibit the testing of pesticides on humans. Think it doesn't happen? Think again.
In one experiment under EPA review, human subjects were exposed to MITC, a dangerous pesticide closely related to the chemical that killed thousands in Bhopal, India, in 1984. In another, human subjects — mostly college students and minorities paid $15 per hour — were placed in a chamber with chloropicrin, an active ingredient in tear gas, for up to one hour at a time for four consecutive days … The report also finds that the adverse health effects of these studies were downplayed. In one study, headaches, abdominal pain, nausea, coughing, and rashes experienced by study participants dosed with azinphos-methyl for nearly a month were dismissed as having been caused by “viral illness,” “ward conditions,” or diet. Human subjects were often inadequately notified of about the health risks of participating in experiments.
Why would Burns support testing pesticides on kids and the poor? Come on, do you really have to ask.
Since 2000, Burns has accepted $10,000 from political action committees set up
by some of the pesticide industries top producers.
It's all about values, folks.
posted by Abe at 6/29/2005 06:15:00 PM
4 Comments:
Good ol' Connie Burns. His only strength is his taste for pork -- Burns rivals Ted Stevens of Alaska in funneling federal dollars to his home state. Even with that, he barely won re-election in 2000, facing an unknown upstart who is now Governor of Montana.
With his squeaky victory, Burns embarked on a third term. When he first ran for the Senate, he swore he'd only serve two terms; he inveighed against the "entrenched interests" in Washington. Now he's on their leash and lickin' their boots.
A couple strong Dems have already set their sights on Burns's seat -- State Auditor John Morrison and Senate President John Tester. The only uphill battle they face is the perennial doozy -- funding. Burns has maintained quite a war chest, mainly from entrenched interests such as the pesticide producers. Good ol' Connie.
You guys are probably right. Let's not test pesticides at all. Ignorance is bliss.
Rock, do you also support what happened in the Tuskegee Study? Is there much of a difference? Are we so naive to have a mentality of, "things like that happened way back when"? Surely, people would not behave that way now. I can see why your party is opposed to affirmative action......there is no racism in America anymore. Ignorance is bliss you say? Ha, that coming from a Republican. Comical.
I don't see the connection. All the test subjects in this study were to be volunteers. Are you familiar with that term? We weren't just going to go out and spray pesticide in everyone's faces. We weren't going to force it on a group of black people. Testing is needed in some cases. Get over it.
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