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the Stem Cell Page time and ignorance are the enemies |
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Election Day Diary |
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PART VIII
We headed for home. We were in the car driving west on Highway 40, just passing the Hampton Avenue exit at Forest Park. Another mile and we’d be at Skinker Boulevard, the exit we’d take if we were headed back to the Amendment 2 party at Washington University. I really wanted to see if folks were still there… but no, I remained mute and we were going to pass it up in favor of going home. Zelda had been up since about 4:30 am – yesterday – and I didn’t have the heart to impose upon her with such a request.
But it was Zelda who broke the silence. “Why don’t we go back to Wash. U. and see what’s going on?” she asked. No arm twisting was required. I quickly steered the car into the exit lane and headed back to the Knight Center. Once I pulled up to the front door, I suggested, “You want to jump out and see if the doors are still open?” She did but they were locked. Even from a few yards away and at night I could see the disappointment in her expression.
Then we heard a voice yell out, “It’s after hours! You have to push the button!” It was David Eagleton. He had come back as well. From the parking garage, he ran past my car to the door and sure enough, after pressing the right button, they opened the door. I quickly drove to the parking garage, deposited my car and ran back to the building’s entrance.
The scene was far different from the one we had left hours earlier. Only one news crew remained, the others having packed it in and called it a day. The crowd had thinned to a precious few. There were only about a dozen and a half people left. Donn Rubin greeted us. He had watched the favorable spread grow, now at +5000 and rising more quickly. He asked if I had seen ‘the cake.’ I hadn’t. He explained that the local news media had televised the opposition’s party and they had rolled out a victory cake - but they’d done so before the urban votes came in. As they cut the cake, the returns started to change - in our favor. He related how the opposition’s jubilation was reduced to silence.
We milled around, engaged in conversation. It was now well after 2:00 am. I wandered over to the media station. The reporter was working at his laptop. A moment later, at 2:20 am, he announced, “Associated Press has called it. You won!”
Considering the diminished size of the group, the roar was disproportionately loud. And it was only momentary. It yielded to hugs and tears. This was a very different kind of election victory party. It was not an election party for one candidate versus another. It was a gathering of people who either had been stricken by a disease or injury, or had a loved one who was. The emotions overflowed like the Mississippi in ‘93 - it was a flood. After a couple of minutes I spotted Pat Jackson across the room. She was frozen against the wall opposite my location. |
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“This is for Chris and for Tom,” I said. Her son, my brother. I didn’t notice the strobe flashing at first, but then a photographer asked me my name. I couldn’t speak. I reached into my pocket and handed him (or her, I’m not sure) a business card. I was still wiping the tears from my eyes. It would be several days before Jeff McCaffrey told me that the photograph was posted in a stem cell slide show, chronicled on the Internet. Turns out it was an Associated Press photographer who had caught that shot of Pat and me embracing as Maggie Duwe grinned from ear to ear.
We formed a line behind the newsman as he announced our victory on the air. Then we migrated near the stage as Donn Rubin began the campaign’s final round of comments. He took a moment to thank everyone who had worked on the campaign. He made special mention of Jim and Virginia Stowers, who committed their personal resources to both the work of curing disease, and to the campaign to ensure the work could continue. He acknowledged Bill Danforth and Bill praised Donn for both his leadership and also for authoring the Amendment itself.
Donn asked if anyone else had something to say. I waved my hand and he invited me to the microphone. I wanted to remind everyone that though it was a great victory, it only a single battle in the war. Amendment 2 would only allow in Missouri what was allowed by federal law and regulation. Thus we had to continue to fight against the Brownback bill, which otherwise might nullify some of what we had just accomplished. And we still have to work to pass HR810 in the 110th Congress. I mentioned that I thought we may have veto-proofed the Senate. Donn disagreed. (It turns out Donn was right. I later calculated we’re still one vote short.)
Zelda came over to me with a foil-wrapped package of Pop-tarts. “I think it’s about time you had breakfast,” she joked. Breakfast? I had to think about that for a minute. She was right. It was now Wednesday morning and I hadn’t eaten a meal since Monday night’s dinner. Oh well, Pop-tarts and a coke – the breakfast of champions.
I looked on as Donn settled into a chair. There was a small film crew interviewing him. They were actually completing a project – a documentary of the campaign. And when they turned off their camera, about 3:00 am, it signaled the end of our Election Day, November, 2006.
EPILOGUE
As has often transpired while driving home from a stem cell event, my thoughts turned to my brother, Tom. I know that others were thinking of their loved ones as well; those who suffered from Multiple Sclerosis like Tom, or diabetes like Chris Jackson, or Parkinson’s like Bernie Frank, or paralysis like Jeff McCaffrey, or those with autism, cancer, heart disease or a myriad of other diseases and conditions that could now be researched in Missouri without fear of the cloud of ideology looming over the state’s politics, all thanks to the passage of Amendment 2.
And Claire McCaskill will replace Jim Talent in the U.S Senate. She’ll be working to protect and expand the research, along with Lacy Clay, Russ Carnahan, Ike Skelton and Emanuel Cleaver, who all won reelection to the House of Representatives.
It was a great day for Missouri. It was a great day for medical research. It was a great day for patients and their families.
What’s next?
First, take a well deserved break. Enjoy the Thanksgiving holiday with your family and friends. Unwind and recharge. There’s still a great deal yet to be done, so after the holiday we’ll be ramping up for the next stage - and we’ll need your help.
Rest assured James Dobson, Jerry Falwell and Pat Robertson will not relent in their opposition. Neither will their Alliance Defense Fund or Family Research Council. The likes of Rick Scarborough and Alan Keyes, David Prentice, Leon Kass, Sam Brownback, Tom Coburn and their cast of thousands still loom as threats to the potential medical advancements of embryonic stem cell research.
Remember, the passage of Amendment 2 was not the end of the game. To the contrary, it was merely the qualification round to enter the tournament. So, if you’re interested in playing a role (large or small) as we move forward with the fight, let me know.
With your continued support, the best is yet to come.
- Jeff Eisen
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I could see the tears welling in her eyes. We moved toward each other and, much like in West Side Story when Tony and Maria first meet, momentarily oblivious to those around us. When we reached each other, we locked in an embrace and she was crying on my shoulder, I on hers. |
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