Nov
29
2007

The You Tube Video Selection Means We Remain Invisible

By Joel

Last night was the CNN and You Tube Republican presidential debate. I was very disappointed with the quality of questions that they chose to ask the candidates. It seemed that the selection of videos was not as serious as I would liked to have seen. The selection leaned heavily to the dramatic and the absurd. I do understand that the producers were creating a TV show that needs to entertain, but they left out so many excellent potential questions.

In the interest of full disclosure, I do need to remind you that I did submit a video. Although I hoped it would be selected, I did not expect that it would have been among the chosen. I do not believe that my negative response is related to imy video not being selected.

I was very shocked that the producers ignored the entire field of health care issues when making their selection of videos to use. This is upsetting because it means we have not made an impact on national politics. At a time when we are experiencing a decline in real dollars being allocated for cancer research we cannot afford to be invisible. Nevertheless, it looks as though we remain invisible.

I hope that some of us will hear the call and decide not to allow the status quo to be maintained. We cannot expect improvements in diagnostic tools or treatments without the basic science research that needs to be performed. We can no longer afford the drain of young researchers who cannot find adequate funding in the United States.

This will not change unless we find a way to not be invisible. We need to be heard and we need to be seen now.

Joel T Nowak, MA, MSW

Categories : Politics of Cancer

Comments

  1. davidE says:

    Joel,
    The “You Tube” Debates are a farce; talking snowmen? They are a ploy by CNN to try to attract the younger, internet savvy audience.

    The fact your video, not any on health care made the final screening is no surprise to me, CNN obviously had an agenda.

    The fact that former General Keith works for the Hillary Clinton Campaign, has his video selected, and CNN flew him to the debate, then they let him ramble on and on, pushing his agenda without actually asking a question is all the proof I need. Later CNN acknowledges the connection between Keith and Clinton…hmm to much of a coincidence for me.

    I am not confident any candidate, Democratic or Republican is going to do anything more than address our issues with lip service.

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