Hello, Emily!

Thank you for your kind response! I apologize that I couldn't reply
sooner, but we're working on the program logistics and communications
for an upcoming Spina Bifida conference we're planning for North
Carolina.

I, too, applaud your support of your father's work and your ability
to see both sides of the issue! Unforunately, I don't have time to
research this bill or issue further. I must admit that I owned shares
of a stem cell company we bought on advice from a friend a couple of
years ago until I learned of the moral conflict I had with the
embroyonic research. My wife and I sold the stock immediately and
took a loss... but we learned to be more careful about where we
invest our money. That applies to time and effort as well.

Could you please talk a bit about harvesting and using adult stem
cells? Are they as beneficial as the embryonic ones? Since there may
be greater opportunity to harvest them in larger numbers -- perhaps
from blood donation? -- do they hold promise as well?

Kind Regards,

Mike


--- In sbaofnc@y..., "curesnow" <no1899@e...> wrote:
> I do applaud the choices you have made, Mike. They are the
> same choices, I truly believe, that I would make. Our personal
> beliefs in all of this are vital to steering our course.
>
> I am neither a high school nor college student. I do not work in
> the science or health field. My father is a scientist, and he does
> work with stem cells, but he in fact works with those adult stem
> cells and stem cell lines that you hear about. So, if I were out
for
> any kind of personal or financial gain, you might say I would
> support this Brownback bill because it bans the competition! But
> that would not be right. And is not why I am out here writing to
> you.
>
> That my father is a scientist only meant that I was aware of the
> issues at hand. It motivated me to do my own reading and
> research. It motivated me to search my own heart.
>
> Yes, I think that you would clearly have a problem with the use of
> embryonic stem cells. If I read you right, the moment of creation
> in your beliefs is that very moment the two reproductive cells
> unite and create a fertilized egg. I can see that you would want
> research involving embryonic stem cells to be banned, as you
> might want abortion to be banned (I am not putting words into
> your mouth! I do not know what your stance is on this, but I do
> know I also believe you have a right to your stance, ok?)
>
> You would also want reproductive cloning or human cloning to
> be banned. Frankly, I think that we pretty much ALL agree with
> you there. Cloning babies it just plain wrong.
>
> But what about somatic cell nuclear transfer? The somatic cell
> is the term which describes any cell OTHER than a reproductive
> cell. It is then transferred into an egg whose own nucleus has
> been removed. An UNFERTILIZED egg.
> The question of how we get these eggs would be the choice of
> the woman. Nobody is going to force a woman to give up her
> eggs! No way.
>
> You will have a problem with this if you think that the egg alone
is
> a child. I don't think that it is. I think that until it is
fertilized, it is
> truly one more part of our amazing body.
>
> The Brownback bill s1899 would ban ALL of these definitions of
> cloning or nuclear transfer. Then it would go further. If you had
a
> different idea of where life begins, or say you can see that SCNT
> (somatic cell nuclear transfer) is different, and your child or
loved
> one or even yourself had a disease or damage which this
> research could help, and you decide that you want to use this
> cure or therapy. It's not happening here in the United States. So
> you decide to travel to Canada or England or Austrailia where it
> is legal. You will not be able to return to your home without
> facing that 10 year jail term/million dollar fine!
>
> There is the other bill before the Senate. The bill which is
> sposored by Senators Orrin Hatch (a man who is pro-life as you
> know) and Diane Feinstien. It would ban human/reproductive
> cloning. It's not a perfect bill yet- in fact, they are right now
> figuring out some guidelines to add to it which would make it
> more acceptable to the majority of people. So it's not a perfect
> bill, but I think that it is the right first step. Let's not ban
everything
> before we truly understand what is at stake.
>
> We can always decide for ourselves which therapies we can live
> with.
>
> My petition does not endorse embryonic stem cell research. It
> simply opposes the Brownback bill s1899, and states that we do
> see a difference between cloning humans and some of these
> other avenues of research. I would not ask most people to sign
> a petition backing ES research. I understand that lots of folks
> have a BIG ethical problem with it. Again, I am just trying to
shoot
> down this Brownback bill.
>
> I hope this helps to clear up where I am coming from.
>
> Thanks for taking the time to think about this with me,
> emily