I've been following this thread since it began, and had to write to thank
Steve, Alex, Robyn and others for their clear and dispassionate defenses of
science and logic in the ongoing discussion. Anyone is entitled to believe anything
they like, and to construct their own lives around those beliefs; but as
Steve points out, personal beliefs simply are not the same as, or carry the same
weight as, hard science.

And I think there's another issue here, specific to this list and its cause.
Mistaking personal 'belief' for actual science or fact is the fastest way to
blur and distort any discussion - and worse, destroy any credibility the
movement or argument has. Although generally quiet, I've been reading this list
since my LI nephew (now 19) was four years old, and I don't need to describe to
anyone here the battles so many families have to get the right care and
attention for family members dealing with milk-related issues. The *last* thing we
need is yet another reason for the general public to ignore this problem. But
muddying the waters with subjective, unfounded beliefs with no scientific basis,
or promulgating misinformation or myth as "fact", only damages our
credibility, and gives everyone - all of your uninterested teachers, uninformed doctors,
insensitive relatives, dim-witted restaurant owners, uncaring food companies -
more ammunition to label us all as nuts and write the problem off as
nonsense.

We share this problem with just about every activist group, but the solution
is also the same. The only way we will make headway in this issue is to remain
as scientific and accurate as possible - to present good science and
irrefutable evidence in our discussions. Please - check your facts, check your
sources, before you put anything out into a public discussion.

L