Talk:Stem Cell Research

From Pete Ashdown Campaign Collaboration Wiki

Stem Cell REALITY

Viable cures for serious illnesses may be five years down the road, maybe ten.

But we're NEVER gonna get there with the the Bush administration's current policy to kill stem cell science.

And a large part of the reason for the public's tacit acceptance of this is a simple lack of knowledge. Simplifiy this debate. Help people understand that 'stem cell research' doesn't mean 'putting babies in a Cuisinart' (as Bushco would have them believe).

When I was campaiging for Kerry in Ohio last October, I brought up several issues with family members I thought were persuadable, or on the fence about the election.

Case in point: My cousin K. had fertility problems and was only able to reprodice via in-vitro fertilization. After her last preganancy--years ago--she was faced with a dilemma: what to do with the 10 fertilized eggs still frozen, that would not be used. I asked her about this when one day and she started crying out of the blue. It costs a lot of money to keep the fertilized eggs frozen, and the deadline was drawing near. Her perceived options: discard them (ie, destroy them), or donate them to another couple.

My cousin is a fairly conservative professed Christian and she couldn't bear the thought of sloughing off the embryos. Naturally, she was also very afraid of the future implications donating them might bring about twenty years down the road--as in, um, "Hi Mommy."

I suggested that she donate them to a stem cell research facility in Canada or Europe so that they could be used to help end terrible diseases like Alzheimer's (which is afflicting our uncle), or Parkinson's (which is afflicting her father-in-law). She was shocked, because, as she put it, "All I've heard about stem cells is that it's like abortion or something."

She ended up finding a place for them in France this past winter--because it meant that much to her to, as she puts it, "do some good."

When explained simply and personally, this issue is a no-brainer. It worked for Ahhhnold. It worked for Corzine (http://www.corzineforgovernor.com/...).

My point: by personalizing and simplifiying the issue, and relating it to in-vitro fertilization--a science once thought of as diabolical, I might add--we can win with this one.

Educate. Spread the word. I believe this issue can effectively differentiate a candidate's message if explained personally and intertwined with in-vitro stories like the one above. Feel free to use it!

-M. Adolph, SLC

I agree with the above. The Conservative Christian movement has been demonising stem-cell research, and it's time to let the public know the facts behind the science so they can make an informed choice unhindered by the dogma of the Church. --Beachy 07:14, 4 January 2006 (MST)

Now let's not start x-tian bashing but I do belive that too many people have demonized the process. Stem-cell research has the availability to help the whole world. The restrictions on it need to be HEAVILY reformed. There should be SOME limits as to what could be used to recive the cells. I belive that donating eggs for in-vitro would be a great option to open up to the public. The USA is so overly "moral" that we're losing races for medicine and technology daily to eastern countries. Lets bring back what made this country so strong, INNOVATION!!--Projektdotnet 13:58, 2 May 2006 (MDT)