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I really don’t think there’s a need to say anything more, do you?

Okay, I’ll say it: May the force be with you, always.

I loathe cancer. My reaction to just the word is so visceral that it’s hard to explain except to those who share the same feelings for the disease.

Eighteen years and one week ago, it robbed me of my father, whom I loved dearly. He was only 44 and died within two weeks of diagnosis — which was something of a blessing in disguise considering the alternative. The alternative was my grandfather, who died at 53 from the disease, a struggle that began when they found tumors in his lung at the age of 19. The 30th anniversary of his death is on the 16th of this month.

Now, I woke up this morning to news that another of my favorite actors, Pete Postlethwaite, had been taken by cancer. It saddens me to say the least but it also makes me angry.

I know that medical science has made leaps and bounds in treating the disease in recent decades, but it’s not enough. More needs to be done to find a cure for this lethal monster that lurks silently within us, just waiting for the prime opportunity to form.

I frakkin’ loathe cancer but I’m proud of the state I live in for daring to step up to the plate and pledge $3 billion to find a cure. Some may look askance at such a pledge, but I think it’s better than waiting for the health “industry” to do it, especially considering how much it costs for treatments that would be no longer needed.

We need to defeat this disease once and for all. And we need to defeat AIDS and HIV and a host of other diseases that cause untold suffering around the globe. And the cures need to be available to all regardless of age, skin color, religion, location on this planet or financial status.

On top of that, there needs to be accountability for the manufacturers of products that are known to cause cancer. It is a matter of public health and should be addressed as quickly as a matter of national security.

Okay, now that the cancer rant is over, I’ll say “rest in peace, Pete,” and offer up my condolences to his friends and family. He’ll be missed.

Related Links

• AP: Oscar-nominated star Pete Postlethwaite dies at 64
• IMDb: Pete Postlethwaite

I was watching The Horsemen the other night and found myself doing a double-take when I first saw Clifton Collins Jr. on the screen. He looked so similar to a TV cop near and dear to my heart, Miami Vice‘s Lt. Martin Castillo (Edward James Olmos). It was kinda uncanny with the black suit, narrow tie, and the mustache. Take a look and tell me what you think…

On the left is Edward James Olmos as Castillo, and
Clifton Collins Jr.’s detective in The Horsemen on the right.

The resemblance kinda made me nostalgic to see Marty so I ended up cracking out my Miami Vice DVDs and watching some eps.

On an semi-unrelated note, Collins co-starred with Olmos in The Wonderful Ice Cream Suit, a Disney film based on a Ray Bradbury short story.