Tag: Ted Cruz

Celiac Disease Advocacy Groups Denounce Remarks by Ted Cruz About Gluten-Free Meals in the Military

glutenfree2This is exactly what I expect advocacy groups to do. I agree completely with these statements and hope that the result of Cruz’s ill-advised statement will be that more people understand the medicine behind the disease. I so appreciate the many restaurants and food manufacturers who have developed products for Celiac and gluten sensitive people.
If anything, I hope this dust up will advance the cause of accommodations in the military.

BEYOND CELIAC DENOUNCES REMARKS MADE BY SENATOR TED CRUZ ABOUT GLUTEN-FREE DIETS
February 17, 2016
Beyond Celiac strongly denounces the remarks made by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in which he associated adherence to a gluten-free diet with “political correctness” and “social experiments.”
PHILADELPHIA, PA (February 17, 2016) – Beyond Celiac, formerly known as the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, strongly denounces the remarks made by Senator Ted Cruz (R-Texas) in which he associated adherence to a gluten-free diet with “political correctness” and “social experiments.”
Alice Bast, President & CEO of Beyond Celiac, released the following statement:
“Senator Cruz’s remarks equating the need for gluten-free food options with ‘political correctness or social experiments’ propagate misinformation about celiac disease that is both harmful and disparaging to the celiac disease community. Celiac disease is a serious, genetic autoimmune disease, and left untreated, it can lead to other autoimmune diseases (like thyroid disease), osteoporosis, and certain cancers. When people in positions of power disregard celiac disease, they simultaneously disregard the hundreds of thousands of Americans who have been diagnosed and the millions who are estimated to have the disease but have not been diagnosed.
Strict adherence to a gluten-free diet is the only treatment for celiac disease. Remarks, like those made by Senator Cruz, that downplay the existence and seriousness of celiac disease directly obstruct efforts to educate the public and hinder accurate diagnosis. It is our mission at Beyond Celiac to improve awareness and understanding of celiac disease. We know firsthand how difficult it can be to live with a disease that is not taken seriously by those who should know better.
Senator Cruz would benefit greatly by learning to empathize with people who live with celiac disease and other misunderstood or marginalized diseases. We encourage him to visit BeyondCeliac.org to learn more about celiac disease and to hear directly from the patient community about why his position is detrimental to the health and well-being of millions of people.”
About Beyond Celiac
Beyond Celiac, formerly known as the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness, is a leading international advocacy organization committed to increasing diagnoses and understanding of celiac disease as a serious genetic autoimmune disease; accelerating innovation to support those with celiac disease to live life to the fullest; and forging pathways to a cure. We aim to inspire hope, build a strong community and serve as a trusted resource on celiac disease. For more information, please visit www.beyondceliac.org.
Media Contact:
Claire Baker
Beyond Celiac
267-419-2111
[email protected]
Will Hall
WE Communications
617-234-4115
[email protected]

The Celiac Disease Foundation just tonight released the following statement.

Ted Cruz Says NO Gluten-Free Meals

At a rally yesterday in South Carolina, Senator and presidential candidate, Ted Cruz, said in a speech about supporting the U.S. military, “That’s why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experiments – or providing gluten-free MREs.”

As reported in TIME
Senator Cruz’s comments are emblematic of the widespread ignorance about celiac disease and gluten-sensitivity that Celiac Disease Foundation must fight everyday of every year. We need investments in research. We need increased rates of diagnosis. We need drugs to treat accidental exposure to gluten. We don’t need this nonsense.
Help us help the millions who suffer. Add your data to iCureCeliac today. It’s time for a cure.

For my other posts including video of Cruz’s comments on this matter, click here.
 

More on Ted Cruz and His Opposition to Gluten Free Meals

Yesterday, Ted Cruz linked gluten-free meals with political correctness.
There is something to be gained by watching Ted Cruz deliver his anti-gluten-free position instead of just reading about it. Watch

As it turns out, having Celiac Disease isn’t well tolerated in the military. Instead of Cruz being a voice for inclusion and sanity, he sticks up for intolerance of gluten-intolerance. Watch:
[youtube]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LcCwoOxIpqU[/youtube]
If there is a movement to provide gluten free meals in order to attract and keep good people with Celiac Disease, it is incredible that any presidential candidate would oppose it.
I continue to wonder if Cruz thinks Celiac isn’t a real disease. Given his advisors, I honestly would not be surprised if he doesn’t believe it is real.

Ted Cruz Says No Gluten Free Meals for Soldiers – What? (UPDATED)

CNN is reporting that Ted Cruz opposes gluten free meals for solders:

“That’s why the last thing any commander should need to worry about is the grades he is getting from some plush-bottomed Pentagon bureaucrat for political correctness or social experiments — or providing gluten-free MREs,” Cruz said, using the shorthand term for Meal, Ready-to-Eat.

As one who has celiac disease, I am flabbergasted that Cruz picks on soldiers with gluten-insensitivity and celiac disease in an effort to seem tough. I hope some reporter follows up and asks Cruz if he believes celiac disease is a real thing.
Perhaps, I shouldn’t be too surprised since Cruz is advised by a guy who thinks PTSD can be cured by Bible verses.
Celiac support groups weigh in:

Dominionism Denial 2.0

ted cruz
From Ted Cruz’s Google+ page

During the last election, certain evangelicals denied the dominionist leanings of Rick Perry and Michele Bachmann.
I haven’t seen much dominionism denial this time around, but here is an effort from David Limbaugh. Echoing David Barton’s evangelical founders theme, Limbaugh denies that evangelicals are the boogeymen.

Don’t believe fear-mongers who preach that evangelicals and other Christians seek to suppress liberties. You can be sure that precisely because of their Christian and biblical worldview, they are theocracy’s worst enemy and liberty’s best friend — the people most committed to preserving our freedoms by honoring the Constitution, whose integrity must be protected to keep government power in check.

There is some truth here. I am an evangelical and I strongly find common cause with the Virginia Baptists who aligned with heterodox Christian Thomas Jefferson to seek religious liberty. And certainly not all evangelicals are dominionists. In fact some of the biggest opponents of dominionists are evangelicals.
However, Ted Cruz and his advisors have sounded dominionist themes in this campaign all in the name of attracting evangelical voters. Ted Cruz’s father Rafael and his lead endorser Glenn Beck have stated that the Constitution was God-inspired. Another Cruz advisor, David Barton, claims man’s laws cannot contradict the Bible. The elder Cruz, Beck and Barton have all given public credence to the seven mountains dominionist theology.
Perhaps Limbaugh isn’t a dominionist, but he shouldn’t try to distract us from what is right in front of us.

Glenn Beck Tells Crowd Ted Cruz Will Rely on God Inspired Constitution and Scriptures

It sure is getting thick on the campaign trail.
[dailymotion]http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x3rssxv_glenn-beck-tells-voters-ted-cruz-will-get-america-through-the-rapture_news[/dailymotion]
I don’t know where this happened but Glenn Beck certainly seems to think God raised up Ted Cruz to save America.
Consistent with his Mormon beliefs, he calls the Constitution and the Bible God-inspired and says Cruz will look to those two documents when making executive decisions. As an evangelical, that worries me. What part of the Bible will he look to? Mosaic law? Jesus’ moral teaching? How will he interpret it?
Reporters need to ask Cruz how the Bible will guide his decisions, and what will Cruz follow if the Bible and Constitution seem to contradict?
By the way, this clip will be played over and over again during the general election if Cruz gets the nomination.