• Welcome to Phoenix Rising!

    Created in 2008, Phoenix Rising is the largest and oldest forum dedicated to furthering the understanding of and finding treatments for complex chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), fibromyalgia (FM), long COVID, postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), mast cell activation syndrome (MCAS), and allied diseases.

    To become a member, simply click the Register button at the top right.

Feedback: Our co-signed letter, Re: declassifying information about M.E.

drjohn

Senior Member
Messages
169
Feedback: Our co-signed letter, Re: declassifying information about M.E. published Shropshire Star 31 December 2010 -- Revised petition target (slightly upwards!)
To: all people affected by M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), worldwide, including those who co-signed a letter that we had published in The Shropshire Star, 31 December 2010 [The delay in this report has been due to a long-term relapse in my own health, compounded by flu-like symptoms, currently affecting many otherwise healthy people in the UK].

I have written to the Shropshire Star to thank them for being the only newspaper in the UK (England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland) to publish.

Shropshire Star Letters.

Singular thanks to the Shropshire Star for being the only newspaper amongst all nationals and the top 20 regionals, by largest circulation, to publish my letter, which was co-signed by 38 people representing the majority of people having M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis). It appealed for closed information being held by the National Archives for more than 70 years to be declassified in case it's revelation would help progress in research (Shropshire Star, 31 December 2010).

The people of this county do not know what the secret is but they are one step ahead of others who do not know that any secret is being kept at all ..... continues similar to below ....


.... The rest of the letter has much in common with another version sent to all those newspapers that did not, which is copied here:

Letters.

In the last quarter of 2010 I submitted a letter, co-signed by 38 people representing the majority of people having M.E. (Myalgic Encephalomyelitis), in turn, to every national newspaper in the UK and the top 20 regional newspapers by largest circulation. It appealed for closed information being held by the National Archives for more than 70 years to be declassified in case its revelation would help progress in research.

Only one published it on the last day of that year (Shropshire Star, 31 December 2010). The people of this county do not know what the secret is but they are one step ahead of others who do not know that any secret is being kept at all. It is tempting to speculate why anyone keeps a secret. Only if you are cat would I discourage curiosity.

Since the resumption of e-petitions on the Number10.gov.uk website, it has been mooted that this coalition government might debate the more serious issues that attract, say, 100,000 signatures. We have a petition running in association with this initiative here http://tinyurl.com/2wtp26d and urge anyone affected by M.E. to add their name and any comments they wish to see if we can reach anywhere near this number.

Otherwise, only those with exceptionally advanced reading skills, with normal life expectancy, or those destined to live beyond a hundred years old may learn the secret and whether it might have made a significant difference. It would be a shame if the secret remained buried under apathy.

Yours sincerely
drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org
Dr John H Greensmith
ME Free For All.org

I wonder if any one of them will publish this one? I'll let you know.

May I suggest that as many as can manage, especially the 38 co-signatories, write: (1) to The Shropshire Star starmail@shropshirestar.co.uk; (2) their regional newspapers and the national newspaper they take; (3) encourage as many to sign the petition here http://tinyurl.com/2wtp26d in an attempt to reach One hundred thousand signatures, to keep this alive. Or let it remain buried, I can do no more alone.

Please write (although this is a secret kept in the UK, M.E. sufferers all over the world are affected and, therefore, I think it is quite reasonable for people from other countries to write with their concerns), make your voices heard and copy to me
drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org to publish on our website.

Make this a New Year's resolution that you will not break.

Best wishes
John
drjohngreensmith@mefreeforall.org
ME Free For All.org
 

markmc20001

Guest
Messages
877
38 signatures?

I signed one like this before to release those secret files. I thought we were up in the hundreds of signatures, not only 38. Anybody shed any light on a similar effort to release those files, or why so few signatures?
 

drjohn

Senior Member
Messages
169
Let me try to clear up any confusion about numbers without possibly creating any more, Mark. There were 38 co-signatories to the letter that was published in the Shropshire Star. On the petition it says that the target is 1,000. We had in excess of that, maybe 1200. OK so far? Now, since the British Government has said that e-petitions on its site reaching, say, in excess of 100,000, might be debated in Parliament, we have decided to raise our target to ONE HUNDRED THOUSAND. If anyone thinks that is unrealistic, there are said to be up to 250,000 sufferers in the UK. Furthermore, there are millions around the world. In my opinion, although the jurisdiction lies within the UK, people all over the world are affected and, therefore, they ought to sign as well. Best wishes John.