Rodent Regatta

During the week of mourning former President Reagan’s death, a lot of people got to a point of having little else to say. Some others decided to vent their dislike of the former President with anything they could come up with. One example of this was found in the accusation that Reagan’s Alzheimer’s Disease might have been cured by stem cell research and the resulting therapies.

As it turns out, stem cell research is apparently not likely to have the major impact in the area of Alzheimer’s that it might have in other areas. The next 24 months will be a period when we debate and researchers find alternatives to embryonic stem cells.

Some others lamented the great expense and time devoted to the funeral. A couple of people even went so far as to imply that the family and the Republicans conspired to dominate the news. Actually, the state funeral is available by law to any former commander-in-chief. Here’s a simple list of some of the traditions and the meaning of the things you saw this past week. Some more of the background is available here.