JoeB, you made another unintellectual assertion without any evidence.
If you wish to argue against Gifford, Reeves, Cleland, all who suffered terrible injuries, then go for it.
Well, let's take the easy one. Christopher Reeve. They dragged him out to argue for Stem Cell Research every time they could. "Wow, Christopher Reeve is for Stem Cell Research. If we just butcher a few thousand embryoes, we might get to see Superman V!"
Can't argue logically there. Scientists admit that we'll never be able to cure parapalegics by injected slaughtered embryoes into people. Their neural systems had long turned to jelly. But no matter, we'll drag old Chris out, and when somebody argues this might not be the most effective use of government money, they say, "What, you want Superman to die?"
Now, you think I'm exaggerating? How about this comment by John Edwards when he was Kerry's VP (you know, the guys you admit you voted for in 2004).
An Edwards Outrage (washingtonpost.com)
"If we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again."
Dr. Krauthammer (also a quadrapalegic) does a great job taking this sophistry apart.