Clear the Air - Stem Cells
Nobody is against stem cell research - not even the most fundamental christian, muslim, jew, or whatever. Is that hard for you to believe? It probably is considering the amount of misinformation and propaganda being dispensed to skulls full of mush who proudly drink the kool-aid and spit it back in your face. George Bush is not against stem cell research, Senator Jim Talent (R-MO) is not against stem cell research, MO Governor Matt Blunt is not against stem cell research - in spite of what you may have heard about these people. Nobody is against stem cell research. The only thing some people don't like is FEDERAL FUNDING for NEW EMBRYONIC STEM CELL LINES, which could be construed as creating human life for the purpose of destroying it in the name of research. They don't see any reason to create new embryo 'lines' when there are inexhaustable stem cell resources that don't involve 'creating babies to kill them for research'. Lots of people are also afraid that stem cell research will be a gateway to human cloning - which actually is a contentious issue.You may ask 'If that's true, why is this such a contraversial topic?' Let me tell you. The political left in this country has made a standard operating procedure out of building (and knocking down) straw men in debates with people on the right. In our 'sound-byte society' mush-skulls can be tricked into believing radical ideas with strategicly placed 'quotes' that are completely out of context and assertions that the 'quotes' mean something very different. Then they make commercials like the one featuring Fox where he 'forgot' to take his medication and all but accuses conservatives of making him sick and wanting him to die. This is a new low, even for Hollywood types.
It is quaint to talk about honesty in the middle of the most heated campaign for midterm elections in the last few decades, but I felt like the air needed to be cleared around this topic.
Labels: politics, stem cells
posted by Aaron at 10/27/2006
15 Comments:
I agree that there is a lot of misleading information out there, and both sides of this issue are most certainly counting on the public not doing their research and blindly accepting whatever they are fed on TV commercials, signs, and editorials. I urge everyone to read the ballot language themselves so they know exactly what they are voting on. The Secretary of State's website has the text of each ballot issue, and you can read both the full text, which is the longer, jargon-y version, and the fair ballot language, which is the simplified text you will see on the actual ballot. The other issues include raising minimum wage and a tobacco tax.
http://www.sos.mo.gov/elections/2006ballot/default.asp#general
Amendment 2 does include this:
It also will set limits on any stem cell research, therapies and cures, including banning human cloning or attempted cloning.
It defines cloning as: “Clone or attempt to clone a human being” means to implant in a uterus or attempt to implant in a uterus anything other than the product of fertilization of an egg of a human female by a sperm of a human male for the purpose of initiating a pregnancy that could result in the creation of a human fetus, or the birth of a human being.
I believe the key word is implanting IN a uterus, so this would allow cloning outside still? Is this the way you understood it, Aaron? I've been doing a lot of my own research and this is what is still confusing to me.
~Jade
Jade's link
That is indeed the way it is worded Jade.
This question is a 'fix' for a problem that doesn't exist. It's basically saying that (even though there is NO BAN on these procedures) Missourians will have access to stem cell treatments.
To be honest, I have an alterior motive for posting about stem cells and mentioning Bush, Talent, and Blunt. All will be explained in an upcoming post.
i've heard a little here and there with the upcoming elections - but the biggest thing is the mud slinging this year.
Even the political left has been acknowleging this.
but i've always liked the statement:
"Extremism is so easy. It doesn't take much thought. When you go far enough to the right you meet the same idiots coming around from the left"
Moral of the story? I agree with Jade. Read your blue books! and that's a great link!
Thanks! Also, pay attention to Prop. 7, which is tricky. It looks like you are agreeing that elected officials convicted of a felony shouldn't get a pension. But, what is attached to it is a change to how elected officials get pay raises. Voting yes means it will be easier for the General Assembly to overturn decisions made by the board that is supposed to regulate their salaries. I have been reading up on this one, too.
~Jade
` He may not be against stem cell research, though it is still a problem that all we have are between six and ten stem cell lines that are useable.
` Bush said that there are sixty viable lines, but that is actually the number of lines that researchers have attempted to use.
` Because the vast majority are defective, real stem cell research (study of advanced diseases, embryonic development, origins of genetic diseases) cannot continue until more are available!
I'm sure you'd know the answer to these better than I would Spoony...
Why are adult stem cells not viable for research?
Why are filopian tube stem cells not viable for research?
Why can't stem cells be mass produced from existing embryonic lines?
Poll Results:
Are you against stem cell research?
um, Sure
0 (0 %)
No
3 (75 %)
Yes, we should go back to the dark ages like the fundamental islamofascist countries
1 (25 %)
Total votes: 4
Should federal funds be used to create new embryonic lines?
Yes
3 (75 %)
No
1 (25 %)
What?
0 (0 %)
Total votes: 4
` As if I have not repeated this enough times; pluripotent stem cells can turn into any type of tissue you could need. This is useful when, say, you need to test out hundreds of chemicals on various types of pure human tissue.
` They can also be used to observe the earliest stages of human development - something that has not actually been done before.
` This could help us understand the causes of birth defects, miscarriages and even infertility!
` And, being able to make specific types of cells means that diseases which occur in a few specific types of cell (such as islet cells for diabetics) can be treated.
` Adult stem cells are already differentiated, and therefore they can only be used to regenerate one type of tissue.
` Even more, many vital organs lack stem cells, so when they are damaged, they cannot be repaired with adult stem cells. They also become more difficult to use with age.
` So who says adult stem cells are not viable? I'm just saying that potentially, they aren't as useful.
` As for why they cannot be mass-produced, I am not sure, though I don't think this is much of a problem.... Unfortunately, there are only a few lines with which to experiment with, so until researchers can understand what to expect with typical and atypical cases, there cannot be much progress in the field.
Thank you for that explaination Spoony.
I voted against federal funding because I don't believe the gov't should be spending ANY money on that type of stuff. The gov't should extort less money from us all so that the research can be funded better by private organizations.
When I said filopian stem cells what I meant to say was umbilical stem cells...
Thanks for quoting my signature quote Cassie about extremism above. It is actually from Clint Eastwood but I use it on my outgoing emails. This stem cell debate infuriates me. Best for me to not come back to this site, life is too short and my blood pressure should not go any higher. party on.
No high blood pressure here This and That, thanks for the comment.
I promise not to do any more political posts in this election cycle.
` Hmmm. I suppose it would be better if private organizations would fund it if they could do a good job.
I always knew that deep down in you Spoony, there is a logical, reasonable conservative just waiting to come out.
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