Six-year-old Dickie explains embryonic stem cell research.
Read/Post Comments (5)
"Sometimes, when Daddy sits in the pool that the immegrats built, he drinks a lot of beer, and he asks Mommy to bring him more beer but Mommy won't bring him more beer, so Daddy gets angry. He tells Mommy that Grammie and Pappa should have donated Mommy to science when she was a human embreeyo for stem cell research.
"Mommy tells Daddy it is a miracal that they made my embreeyo, and this makes me cry because I don't want to be donated to science."
**************************************************
Capps supports House's stem cell bill
5/24/05
By DICKIE CRONKITE
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Bush promises to veto legislation expanding research
WASHINGTON -- Gearing up for a vote today on the House floor, Rep. Lois Capps championed a bill on Monday that would allow for federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
A bipartisan coalition of congressional proponents asserted that embryonic cells could one day render effective treatments for diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes and Alzheimer's, as well as nerve damage.
The House is expected to pass a bill that would expand embryonic stem cell research from current limits set by the Bush administration in 2001. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the Senate.
The research has raised debate across the nation. Supporters contend that the research would provide a crucial advance in the fight against disease. Opponents say that because the research results in the destruction of human embryos, it is the equivalent of taking life.
"I meet regularly with advocacy groups on behalf of (these) diseases," said Mrs. Capps, D-Santa Barbara. "I know I'm speaking on their behalf when I'm supporting and working on this bill."
Mrs. Capps acknowledged, however, that any medical advances from embryonic stem cell research could be at least a generation down the line.
In a phone interview, Dr. David Stevens, executive director at the Christian Medical Association, maintained that significant strides have been made with adult stem cells, making the embryonic stem cell debate unnecessary. He also claimed that many proponents have a financial interest in seeing this research move forward.
Adult stem cells are linked to certain cell types -- muscles or intestines, for example -- and don't have the capacity to become other cell types that the embryonic cells do.
"Embryonic stem cells are so powerful, we don't know how to use them at this point," Dr. Stevens said.
Dr. Lois Jovanovic, director of the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara, said that while adult stem cell research should continue, finding a legitimate adult stem cell is like "finding a needle in a haystack."
"Despite it looking like a stem cell, most (adult) stem cells are committed," she said, "and therefore it's difficult to reverse them."
The House bill would prohibit the sale of embryos for research purposes; they could only be donated.
"Every argument our opponents have tried to come up with has been addressed in our legislation," said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
"People need to understand every single one of us was an embryo at one time," Dr. Stevens argued. "Once it is gone, you've taken someone's life."
Dr. Jovanovic disagreed. "We're not really talking about when life begins. We're talking about access to embryos that are already frozen -- that will be discarded every single year."
In August 2001, the Bush administration limited research to 60 pre-existing stem cell lines, all from embryos that had previously been destroyed.
"This allows us to explore the promise and potential of stem cell research without crossing a fundamental moral line by providing taxpayer funding that would sanction or encourage further destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life," Mr. Bush said in 2001.
On Friday, Mr. Bush said he would veto any bill lifting the 2001 limits.
He said he is against "the use of taxpayers' money ... to promote science which destroys life in order to save it."
Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, was unavailable to comment on whether he planned to support or oppose the embryonic stem cell bill.
Dickie Cronkite writes for Medill News Service from Washington, D.C.
"Mommy tells Daddy it is a miracal that they made my embreeyo, and this makes me cry because I don't want to be donated to science."
**************************************************
Capps supports House's stem cell bill
5/24/05
By DICKIE CRONKITE
NEWS-PRESS CORRESPONDENT
Bush promises to veto legislation expanding research
WASHINGTON -- Gearing up for a vote today on the House floor, Rep. Lois Capps championed a bill on Monday that would allow for federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
A bipartisan coalition of congressional proponents asserted that embryonic cells could one day render effective treatments for diseases like Parkinson's, diabetes and Alzheimer's, as well as nerve damage.
The House is expected to pass a bill that would expand embryonic stem cell research from current limits set by the Bush administration in 2001. Similar legislation is expected to be introduced in the Senate.
The research has raised debate across the nation. Supporters contend that the research would provide a crucial advance in the fight against disease. Opponents say that because the research results in the destruction of human embryos, it is the equivalent of taking life.
"I meet regularly with advocacy groups on behalf of (these) diseases," said Mrs. Capps, D-Santa Barbara. "I know I'm speaking on their behalf when I'm supporting and working on this bill."
Mrs. Capps acknowledged, however, that any medical advances from embryonic stem cell research could be at least a generation down the line.
In a phone interview, Dr. David Stevens, executive director at the Christian Medical Association, maintained that significant strides have been made with adult stem cells, making the embryonic stem cell debate unnecessary. He also claimed that many proponents have a financial interest in seeing this research move forward.
Adult stem cells are linked to certain cell types -- muscles or intestines, for example -- and don't have the capacity to become other cell types that the embryonic cells do.
"Embryonic stem cells are so powerful, we don't know how to use them at this point," Dr. Stevens said.
Dr. Lois Jovanovic, director of the Sansum Diabetes Research Institute in Santa Barbara, said that while adult stem cell research should continue, finding a legitimate adult stem cell is like "finding a needle in a haystack."
"Despite it looking like a stem cell, most (adult) stem cells are committed," she said, "and therefore it's difficult to reverse them."
The House bill would prohibit the sale of embryos for research purposes; they could only be donated.
"Every argument our opponents have tried to come up with has been addressed in our legislation," said Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo.
"People need to understand every single one of us was an embryo at one time," Dr. Stevens argued. "Once it is gone, you've taken someone's life."
Dr. Jovanovic disagreed. "We're not really talking about when life begins. We're talking about access to embryos that are already frozen -- that will be discarded every single year."
In August 2001, the Bush administration limited research to 60 pre-existing stem cell lines, all from embryos that had previously been destroyed.
"This allows us to explore the promise and potential of stem cell research without crossing a fundamental moral line by providing taxpayer funding that would sanction or encourage further destruction of human embryos that have at least the potential for life," Mr. Bush said in 2001.
On Friday, Mr. Bush said he would veto any bill lifting the 2001 limits.
He said he is against "the use of taxpayers' money ... to promote science which destroys life in order to save it."
Rep. Elton Gallegly, R-Simi Valley, was unavailable to comment on whether he planned to support or oppose the embryonic stem cell bill.
Dickie Cronkite writes for Medill News Service from Washington, D.C.
Read/Post Comments (5)
Previous Entry :: Next Entry
Back to Top
