Earlier this week, Democratic Senator Harry Reid and Republican Senator John McCain came together in support of government-funded research on brain injuries in boxing. Both former boxers, the senators are collaborating in recognition of the degenerative impact of the many blows that professional fighters take to the head on a daily basis. Doctors at the Cleveland Clinic have already spent $2 million dollars conducting research on the correlation between the hits that fighters are taking and long-term diseases later on in life. The study already has attracted over 400 active and retired athletes volunteering to participate, and has also brought together rival boxing organizations -both of whom recognize the importance of looking into this issue to keep athletes healthy in the long term.
This is a rare show of bipartisan cooperation that contrasts unfriendly interactions directly between Reid and McCain as recently as last December. It's interesting to see the typically hostile parties come together in complete support of an issue, even if it doesn't necessarily involve politics.
Does this make you feel happy inside? Or does the overarching negativity of current party politics overshadow this small show of bipartisanship? What are some issues, if any, that might realistically have bipartisan support in the future? What are some issues that should have bipartisan support in the future?
Article 1: TIME
Article 2: ESPN
Picture: AFP
1 comment:
After working on an article about concussions for The Outlook last semester, I appreciate the effort that will go into better understanding an issue that is more prevalent and devastating than many realize. I don’t see this as a very partisan issue, but I respect that two of the proponents of this research come from opposing parties.
To answer Nicole’s question about issues that need bipartisan support, healthcare is the first that came to my mind. I think many would argue that the reason the last Medicare expansion (which was passed in 2003 and went into effect in 2005) was possible because of bipartisan support and cooperation.
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