" Mr. Smith, didn't those same experiments with skin cells also have a very dangerous side effect -- a high tendency toward cancer later developing? While I don't advocate creating life just to see it destroyed, what about embryos that are leftover from in vitro fertilization and other procedures in fertility clinics? Is it more ethical to just discard and destroy those embryos than to use them to perhaps save a life? "

" Mr Smith you have spoken like a true neocon hypocrite. like tammer65 said...those left over embryos are systematically DESTROYED every day. and the only argument you have is that by using embryos in stem cell research life is being destroyed.

lets see now...we can destroy them by flushing them down the sink after they've been left out in the open air to unthaw, or we can use them for research which might help someone, including one of YOUR loved ones.....i'll bet you think george bush is an american hero too. "

" Illinois Family Institute Glen Ellyn

"Illinois Family Institute (IFI) is an independent 501c(3) non-profit organization dedicated to fostering -- within Illinois -- an environment where families can flourish.For the past fifteen years, the IFI has worked to advance public policy initiatives consistent with Judeo-Christian teachings and traditions, educating citizens so that they can better influence their local communities and the state.To accomplish this goal, IFI works to educate Christians and the general public on matters of moral concern; to initiate, promote, encourage and coordinate activity designed to safeguard and advance public morality consistent with Biblical Christianity. While we are financially independent, our efforts are reinforced by our working partnership with the Family Research Council, and Alliance Defense Fund as well as similar nationally and state-based organizations across the United States."

rightwing neocon, moral majority, chistian coalition neocon organization. "

" Father Bob, why don't you list all of the cures that embryonic stem cell research have cured? Do not worry about googling the question, as the answer is 0. Yes, there are claims about some great breakthroughs, but there are NO functional uses in humans. Yet, non embryonic stem cells are being utilized in over 75 different cures. The true "hypocrites" in this arguement are not right wing extremist but it is the left leaning liberals that will not admit that embryonic stem cell research is a waste of taxpayer money. "

" techman wrote :
" Father Bob, why don't you list all of the cures that embryonic stem cell research have cured? Do not worry about googling the question, as the answer is 0. ...The true "hypocrites" in this arguement are not right wing extremist but it is the left leaning liberals that will not admit that embryonic stem cell research is a waste of taxpayer money. "

Yip, had you been alive in 1900, you would have made the same statement re the possibility that men might FLY!!! "

" Surely you can do better than to compare flying and stem cell research. In 1900, the Government was not interested in flying, so individual capitalist provided the service. While I do not read all of the comments on every letter, I think I recognize your user name in other places. I would assume that you are with the other anti capitalist that think the government can solve all problems. If you are, you would have been one against flying as there would be noone with the money to successfully fly. "

" techman wrote on Feb 26, 2008 11:10 PM:I would assume that you are with the other anti capitalist that think the government can solve all problems....

god i love it!!....the real reason for these remarks. you are the typical neocon conservative stormtrooper who loves to goosestep to the tune of his fascist icon george wtf bush and the rest of the idiots.

"

" Tammer, actually it's the embryonic stem cells that have a tendancy to grow into weird tumors (not necessarily cancer). The skin cells are a much better base since it's the patients own dna and tissue. It doesn't get rejected. Also, advanced research in using one's own bone marrow is very successful. "

" Actually, Becky, the scientists who discovered that skin cells can be manipulated into the same kind of regenerative process that embryonic cells do also had the disturbing finding that most of the tissues grown from the skin cells later turned cancerous. I'm not mistaken here. While the skin cell option shows promise, there are still a lot of bugs to work out, namely, preventing them from degenerating into cancer. This was on CBS, CNN, and in the original write-ups about the discovery -- try a quick google search.
"

" I agree with Becky. And I also have a question... Why does everyone seem to bring up George Bush in every discussion? No don't call me pro-Bush or anything. I'm just wondering why. "

" The reason George Bush is brought up is because he has sent his croonies to break my furnace, so that I am forced to buy a furnace made in Texas. He also is in the process of re-moving all state parks from Illinois and moving them to Texas. I remember reading that another person posted that it was George Bush's fault that the clutch went out, in his truck. So you see, that if Bush is able to do all that, then everything else must be his fault. "

" whitedove wrote on Feb 27, 2008 12:46 PM:
" I agree with Becky. And I also have a question... Why does everyone seem to bring up George Bush in every discussion? No don't call me pro-Bush or anything. I'm just wondering why. "

he with the direct input the evangelical christian conservatives vetoed the use of embryonic stem cells against the advise and input from most of scientific community....just another chance for him to play god. if you have or have had a family member with parkinson's, alzheimer's, a stroke or a spinal cord injury, you'd understand. "

" Why can't they use the placenta instead of stem cells? Shouldn't it be just as good? "

" the real issue here is the evangelical neo-conservatives and their organizations like illinois family institute believe it's OK to destroy embryos as long as they are flushed down a sewer. by all means lets not help cure disease.

either way the embryo is destroyed.

lets put it another way. your sister needs a heart transplant. my sister dies in a car wreck, and she's the perfect match to be a heart donor. i turn your family down because i don't believe in the science of transplantation. your sister lives hooked to a machine while the good heart rots in the ground because someone uneducated and misinformed doesn't believe in the science.

is it "god's will" or stupidity that your sister dies? "

" Whitedove, you and Becky may agree, but that doesn't change the fact that the skin cell procedure DOES cause cancer, which makes it an option no one would want, unless and until scientists are able to correct the problem. As I said, it looks promising, but right now it's unfulfilled promise, just like embryonic cells. I quote here from Science NOW Daily News, 20 Nov. 2007: "The new technique is not without its own set of problems, although some of those have already been resolved. One of the original genes used for reprogramming (c-MYC) has been shown to produce tumors and cancers. Obviously, it would not be a good choice for patient therapy." And "The second problem is that the genes are introduced through the use of a retrovirus that incorporates into the host cell DNA. Depending upon where the gene sequence inserts, it may cause trouble (including cancers)." AND this: "In response to the announcement Democrat Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa said ,"Our top researchers recognize that this new development does not mean that we should discontinue studying embryonic stem cells. Scientists may yet find that embryonic stem cells are more powerful." Numerous other scientific cites and news organizations duplicate this information -- the announcments came out late last fall. I'm not condemning the idea of skin cells making stem cell resesarch unnecessary -- if we can save lives and avoid destroying embryos in the process, wonderful. But how do you respond to what father bob and others (including my original post) have said: would you rather see embryos from fertility clinics simply destroyed, as they are every day, rather than used to save lives? How is it unethical to use an embryo to perhaps save life if that very embryo is going to be destroyed anyway?
"

" " Father Bob, why don't you list all of the cures that embryonic stem cell research have cured?
What was your answer? "

" The placenta is just that, the placenta that is made and developed to last about 40 weeks, much over that and it starts to fall apart, I don't believe the cells of the placenta are stem cells. Stem cells are used because they are undifferientated cells. The stem cells are not a particular type of cell, so their "direction in life" is not yet set, they can be directed to form into just about any kind of cell. Also, there are no placentas to a frozen embryo that is made in petri dish. Don't get me wrong, I believe embryo stem cell use and research is morally wrong, that is just my stance, the human body has other stem cells that can be taken from and used without causing death. My grandma died from a long battle with alzheimers, as bad as that disease is and how horrible it is, she would not have elected for any kind of therapy where a human life was destroyed to save her. That is my point and the point of my family. "

" http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=425195: Stem cell breakthrough may cut risk of cancer.....

Yes Tammer, previously skin cells that was treated with a retrovirus to make them stem cells had a high chance of turning into cancerous cells. The above article explains that a new breakthrough removes most of that risk. Using skin cells for stem cells is still in it's research stage. Just like embryonic stem cells. The newer research, which couldn't have been reached without embryonic stem cell research, is just another door opened and seems to be leading to safer, less intrusive cures. "

" 1 cav wrote on Feb 27, 2008 7:06 PM:
" " Father Bob, why don't you list all of the cures that embryonic stem cell research have cured?
What was your answer? "

you ARE as big a moron as you appear.

your super-hero in washington is disallowing embryonic stem cells from being used. ask the scentific community how many more avenues this opens. embryonic stem cells can become ANY type of cell. other stem cells can't.

maybe you need to go clean your gun or something.



"

" Come on FB. Start listing and quit calling everyone names. Forget the president. Claifornia and even IL are spending millions and millions on research. In fact, if you knew how to research instead of reverting to name calling and Bush bashing, you would find that private organizations can do embryonic research. They cannot use government money on any lines other than those specifically labeled. I have posted before, there are over 75 cures using stem cells generated from other sources. "

" Dont let Bush know this....He will make skin illegal. He is the decider you know? "

" it's all about rightwing right-to-lifers who want to rule our government and lives.

it's about roe-v-wade.

it's about any issue the neo-conservatiives don't condone.....everything else is unacceptable. forget helping people who suffer.

and the think the only terrorists are muslim..... "