Letter to the Editor The Miami Herald

October 15, 2011

Letter to the Editor
The Miami Herald
One Herald Plaza
Miami, FL 33132

RE: “Let’s Stop This Killer” - Some comments on today’s editorial on the perennial favorite disease.

Sirs,

“Breast Cancer Epidemic Can’t Be Ignored”

“Epidemic”? “Ignored”? I thought journalists were supposed to be precise with words. If breast cancer rates use of the word “epidemic” do you think it’s time to change what we called the Influenza scourge of 1918? Once the death toll reached 60 million – that’s 60,000,000 - in 18 months the world stopped counting. What word would best describe the number of deaths caused by bubonic plague 500 years ago? In fact, numbers weren’t used. Percentages were. 1/3rd of this area. I/4th of that country, ½ of that city, inter alia.

Can we stipulate that those were epidemics?

It was but 25 years ago when the words AIDS and epidemic were always used in the same sentence. 15 years ago Donna Shalala, now the head of the University of Miami, then the Secretary of Health and Human services, told us we would all die from AIDS in 10 years. Check the calendar. Even if your blood count is alop and askew it’s OK to buy green bananas.

If we were to adopt “statistical sampling”, once the darling new math of modern American Liberals, we would have to face the inconvenient truth that more Americans die of prostate cancer than of breast cancer.

I asked a lady swathed in pink – head band, shirt, striped shorts, and sneakers – which color was used for the prostate cancer ribbon.

No answer was forthcoming; I did not ask again.

Lest you think I am an insensitive curmudgeonly misogynist 2 facts need to be revealed.

#1 – Marie Smith, my mother, lived for 49 years after her breast cancer surgery.

#2 – Amy Smith, my wife, died of uterine papillary serous carcinoma on August 25, 2011. What color is her ribbon?


I know that since 1971 the people of America have paid almost as much money fighting cancer as has been spent paying farmers not to grow crops. If the starting date is 1978 the amounts spent on not finding energy sources – the Department of Energy – and not teaching Johnny how to read – the Department of Education – would have been sufficient to cure cancer, male pattern baldness, mixing plaids and stripes, and the horrors of overcooked rib-eye and single malt whisky diluted with club soda.

Who speaks for heart failure and diabetes?

Do you mind if I smoke?




Kevin Smith