BSE (mad cow disease) was SC - re: meat

[LrdRas at aol.com]

In a message dated 12/8/98 2:45:23 PM Eastern Standard Time,
TerryD at Health.State.OK.US writes:

<< Statistically, in the US, the risk of infection from BSE is low.  Do you
 trust statistics?
 
 Bear 
  >>

Actually, yes I do. The propensity for over reaction to the report of isolated
cases of whatever is very high in the public sector. 

For instance, I know several dozen full grown adults whio suddenly developed
'allergies' to aspirin when they discovered that children UNDER 12 had a
remote possibility of getting Ryes (sp?) Syndrome; many people who are
'allergic' to sulphites after the sulphite hoo-ha that can eat grapes, eggs
and cabbage with out a problem (go figure); 

Personally, 5 to 1 cases in a million is not any concern of mine notr should
it be of others. According to a professor I know the odds of getting bit by a
shark are higher for me than getting struck by lightning in North Central PA
(actually more people are killed by donkeys in the US than by lightning) both
figures are infinitely higher than the odds of getting Mad Cow Disease. The
warnings on alcohol about low weight births when it is consumed  by pregnant
women is entirely based on a study of women who were all heavy smokers and
drug addicts. Ad nauseum.

The point I'm trying to make is that statistics in and of themselves are
completely irrelevant for the most part and can be used to prove any point but
are most often used by authorities to promulgate irrational laws and further
control of the populace. 

For one I will not be alarmed at a few isolated cases of any rare disease and
certainly will not abstain from consumption  on the basis of such
statistically insignifivcant numbers.

Ras
============================================================================

To be removed from the SCA-Cooks mailing list, please send a message to
Majordomo at Ansteorra.ORG with the message body of "unsubscribe SCA-Cooks".

============================================================================