Village Board meetings are
interesting occurrences.
Last night’s Buffalo Grove
Village Board meeting was, and this may be breaking news, a quiet affair.
Aside from a lengthy discussion and
vote about regulating residential rentals, it was a routine business
meeting. As in village business.
Among the routine agenda items
was a proclamation for October as Breast Cancer Awareness Month, which I am
delighted to say was approved.
That’s because I, along with
Buffalo Grove resident Maggie Osborne, wrote.
Osborne, it should be noted, is Senior Health Initiatives Representative
for the Illinois Division of the American Cancer Society’s northwest suburban
chapter based in Arlington Heights. She
and I began working together on an initiative that my student journalists support. Originally it was the ACS’ “Plant it Pink”
program, which the sale of pink tulip bulbs.
My students planted more than 300 bulbs in the three years the ACS
offered that program. Additionally, they dedicate the October issue to Breast
Cancer Awareness Month.
But enough about that. The approval of the proclamation by the
Buffalo Grove Village Board is significant not only because it calls attention
to Breast Cancer, but because this year cancer awareness takes on an additional
importance.
Why?
Because as the eyes of the
nation begin to focus on tomorrow night’s debate between President Barack Obama
and GOP challenger Mitt Romney, one thing is sure, millions of Americans will
be focused on where the two candidates stand on various issues.
The economy.
Foreign policy.
The national debt.
And the war.
Granted, the war has preoccupied
the minds of Americans because we are bombarded with images and reports of
dastardly attacks against Americans in Afghanistan, Pakistan and Libya.
And the images these attacks
permeate the media, and justifiably so, candidates needs to address funding and
strategy for the war. The funding needs
to increase. Not, however, for the war
in the aforementioned countries, a war being waged right here at home.
It is not just the war on
terrorism, or the war on hungry – the war against cancer.
With October being proclaimed by
many cities, counties and states as Breast Cancer Awareness month, the
attention focuses on Breast Cancer. The
American Cancer Society reports that so far in 2012, nearly 230,000 cases of
new breast cancer were reported nationwide.
Think that’s high? The ACS also
reports the same number of new cases
of lung and bronchus cancer for the same time period.
Do the math – that’s almost a
half a million new cases of cancer report.
Those are, however, second and third place tallies so far. In first place in reported new cases of
cancer is Prostate Cancer with nearly 242,000 new cases reported. The total for new cases of all types of
cancer is nearly 1.7 million. And there
are still three months left in the year.
Is it a special interest
vote? Unfortunately, yes. People whose lives have been turned upside
down by a battle with cancer are more than likely to be at the forefront in the
war and, in this case, the well orchestrated effort to put funding for the war
on cancer front and center. Breast
Cancer seems to get the lion’s share of coverage. Susan B. Komen walks attract thousands of
women annually to raise awareness. As
mentioned, October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.
It is the “it doesn’t affect me”
attitude that may be alarming. You can’t
avoid cancer as you can the flu. There’s
no vaccine against it, nor is there an age differentiation. Adolescents and people in their 20s and 30s
need to be aware of cancer risks and the importance of funding.
Testicular Cancer and Skin
Cancer are two cancers that can strike young people. With Breast Cancer Awareness month abutting
the Nov. 6 election, the timing seems ideal for candidates in all races, not just
the presidential battle, to explain their position and, hopefully, support for
a continued, if not increase in funding against the war on cancer.
Locally, one congressional race
that will attract a considerable amount of interest is in the 8th
congressional district where incumbent Joe Walsh is being challenged by Tammy
Duckworth. It’s a media dream – A
right-wing Republican taking on a physically challenged female war
veteran. If anyone knows what it takes
to overcome obstacles, it’s Duckworth.
Her dedication and injuries as a member of the military have, at times,
become an issue, courtesy of Walsh.
Which is too bad, because images
of a physically challenged vet are over riding other key issues. Like the war against cancer. In the nearby 10th district,
incumbent Bob Dold is being challenged by Brad Schneider. Again, it’s charges of tea party politics
against the democrats.
In the race for state rep
between Sidney Mathias and Carol Sente, the mudslinging has focused on just
about everything but what they stand for.
Issues please?
The need for funding the war on
cancer is not a special interest vote.
Funds are not needed solely for research, although that is a primary
concern. Funding helps organizations
like the American Cancer Society help people undergoing treatment by offering
emotional support and resources to help them get through their battle.
It’s not a small battle – not
with 1.7 million people involved.
It’s not a specialized battle –
cancer affects men and women, blacks, whites and Hispanics.
It’s not an age battle – cancer
strikes the young, the middle-aged, and elderly.
It’s an ongoing war, which needs
the support of the nation’s law makers.
It’s the one time when Americans
need to be remember three simple words.
Support the war.
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