Women's Issue

[Treebywater]

After the Coldwater Campaign that we staged today, I was flipping through Newsweek and ran across a "Go Red" campaign ad. Clearly Heart Disease isn't JUST a women's issue, but it is getting a lot of support and awareness right now becasue of the Go Red campaign appealing to us ladies.

It seems like... the whole 'women's issue' idea is appealing to folks. Was wondering if LC could grab hold of that and run with it, especially in the wake of what happened with Dana Reeves etc.

Since I heard the stats on LC killing almost twice as many women per year as BC, I've thought of this as a 'women's issue.'

What do you think--would that help or hurt the cause? And if the former, how do we grab it and run with it?

[Suzie Q]

Grab it!

It's no accident that cancer funding exploded with the advocacy of the Komen Foundation, started by a WOMAN. Women are, in my opinion, the most tenacious bulldogs in advocating an issue.

I don't mean to exclude the men, but in the end, they will benefit as well, and we certainly welcome any and all assistance in promoting our cause!

~Karen

[RandyW]

I Love Women and hate to see this happen to them. I do believe very strongly that LC is The BC of the new millenium. The reason for lack of funding is the stigmatism which needs to be overlooked.the funding Numbers differ almost 10 to 1. $18,000 per patient for BC to $1,800 for LC Patients. Sorry i am getting dizzy on this darn soapbox.

[ginnyde]

Sounds good, ideas on what to do, how to start? A 'clear' day doesn't do it for me.

Let's post our ideas and see where it goes.

[Linda661]

Can anybody think of something catchy that relates to the LC ribbon? Most of the successful campaigns so far seem to tag onto that. Maybe that's a place to start, though I'm not sure how yet: I think the ribbon is some combo white or off-white with a tan stripe on it if I remember correctly of what I saw at the cancer center a couple of days ago.....it wasn't just one color.

Just a thought,

Linda

[tatlyn]

As a woman who was involved for many years with a men's issue, more specifically, *Father's Rights*, I was confronted regularly with just how powerful women's lobbies/advocates, associations and the like are. They can and do move mountains and they were able, over the course of just a few decades, to so firmly entrench feminist political views into the family court system that it was turned almost completely on it's head and resulted in an almost systemic bias against Father's. Women's issues are very appealing (read politically correct) and they are especially so to the, *new generation* of men, who, as PC mandates, are kinder, gentler and more evolved then the previous generation's of, *good 'ole boy's* (not that I personally believe men had to be mandated to be nice ), it's a societal thing and I'm thinking more along the line's however of *men of power*, whose best interest's are served by being politically correct. The majority of influence in the corporate world is still held by men. So, what the heck does this all have to do with lung cancer? It's my long winded way of agreeing with, Treebywater. I think *lung cancer* as a women's issue would generate more mileage as in, high profile recognition, endorsements, fundraising, etc., etc.

In that light, and I apologize if the information is here somewhere, but I was wondering if there has ever been some type of poll of this forum's members' which would give us certain statistics such as; number of women member's with lung cancer as well as smoking history; never smoked, smoked but had quit for *X* number of years prior to diagnoses? With three thousand plus members (and I recognize that not all are active members), still, the results could maybe be a fair statistical sampling? In any event, I would be curious. Do other's think this would be a good thing to know, even as just a reference that could be used in *letter writing campaigns* as in, "I am a member of a lung cancer support forum where *X%* of members' are women who never smoked or women who did smoke but had quit *x* number of years previous?" I think citing these kinds of figures...including lung cancer patients' who are represented here by other family members...rather than national numbers, could make the letters more personal. Is anyone interested in starting up a poll?

I'm also curious, since the subject has been raised here, how does the idea sit with our very special and dear men members?...who I would never want to feel like they were somehow being excluded in this topic.

[tatlyn]

Thanks Katie, I can see from your reasons that results from any poll that might be done here would not be considered to be a representative sampling. Still curious though if the data might be desired for informational purposes and uses by other members here, such as letter writing campaigns as I mentioned? I guess the simplest way to collect it would be through posting a message which would include smoking history or lack thereof. The user of the information would collect the data. Of course, participation would determine the usefulness.

[RandyW]

Regarding the Men Folk here I myself have stated my thoughts above. I love women especially My DebKins especially since I do not get to hear her voice or see that loving smile except in a picture. Getting Misty eyed ya know. I stated my thoiughts and I agree we need to do something here and give Susan G Komen a run for the money.

[blaze100]

Personally I would like a car magnet that somehow identifies me and other non-smokers as LC survivor who never smoked.

I know maybe it is not PC, but the more the public is exposed to the non-smoker LC connection, the better our chances of getting additional $$$ for LC research. You might recall the public concern when teenagers were getting HIV from going to dentist etc.

I apologize now if this upsets anyone, not my intention. "WE" all know no one deserves LC, but seventy-five percent of the population are non-smokers and most think this excludes them from getting LC. We could generate more public concern (or fear) if they see non-smoker LC survivors on the road everyday. Just a thought.

Barb