The TRUTH about the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative
On Sunday, October 1st, in the PM Service, Missouri Family Network’s Kerry Messer spoke at First Baptist Church of Festus/Crystal City against the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative.
The facts are plain and simple, we, as Missourians, are being lied to. The amendment claims to be a ban on human cloning when it is, in fact, quite the opposite. Instead, Constitutional Amendment 2 will allow for the cloning and subsequent destruction of human embryos.
To hear Kerry Messer speak on this issue, please see the links below. Note that the first link is the complete file and the four remaining links are the same thing, only cut into smaller pieces for slower connections. To download these to your computer, right-click on the link and pick “save link as” or “save target as,” etc. Or listen right here on this website!
Complete File - 1:00:47 - 55.6MB
Part I - 14:54 - 13.6MB
Part II - 15:04 - 13.8MB
Part III - 15:13 - 13.9MB
Part IV - 15:45 - 14.2MB
Also, for more information on these issues, please see these links:
November 6th, 2006 at 10:06 am
2006 Ballot Measure: Constitutional Amendment 2
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to allow and set limitations on stem cell research, therapies, and cures which will:
• ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law;
• ban human cloning or attempted cloning;
• require expert medical and public oversight and annual reports on the nature and purpose of stem cell research;
• impose criminal and civil penalties for any violations; and
• prohibit state or local governments from preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures?
The proposed constitutional amendment would have an estimated annual fiscal impact on state and local governments of $0-$68,916.
Key Points and Amendment Loopholes
Access to any therapies: Amendment actual wording says “any stem cell research permitted under federal law may be conducted in Missouri, and any stem cell therapies and cures permitted under federal law may be provided to patients in Missouri…†The term “stem cell†is defined in Subsection 6(13) to include “embryonic stem cellsâ€Â, including those harvested from embryos created by in vitro fertilization (“in vitro fertilization blastocystsâ€Â) or by “somatic cell nuclear transfer,†which is the technical term for cloning. There are 72 current applications of human adult stem cell research fighting illnesses and disease which are available and being used in Missouri. There has been no attempt to limit these cures nor to limit any adult stem cell research which is ongoing in private and public facilities.
Ban human cloning: “clone or attempt to clone†is defined in Subdivision 6(2) to mean “to implant in a uterus…..†This “Initiative” includes embryonic research via Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT) which is cloning (National Academies of Science & American Medical Association agree)…. the same process by which Dolly, the sheep, was created. The medical definition of “to clone†means “to create genetic copy of.†The cloning of a human being occurs BEFORE implantation, and the cloned human being is a cloned human being whether he or she is implanted or not. Amendment 2 doesn’t “ban human cloning.” It constitutionally protects it. The National Academies of Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the International Society for Stem Cell Research, and the American Medical Association recognize Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer as cloning. Last year the General Assembly of the United Nations declared that the world’s nations should “prohibit all forms of human cloning.”
Oversight: “All stem cell research… must be conducted… in accordance with state and local laws of general applicability,†BUT ONLY “to the extent that any such laws do not prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research…†Annual reports are required but a loophole excludes “private or confidential†information defined as: “any private or confidential patient, medical, or personnel records or matters, intellectual property or work product, whether patentable or not and including but not limited to any scientific or technological innovations in which an entity or person involved in the research has a proprietary interest, prepublication scientific working papers, research, or data…â€Â
Penalties: There is a penalty for “Paying women for their eggs directly†but loophole permitted is paying women for their eggs through a fertility clinic. ONLY the Attorney General can initiate an action - not exploited women (in say a class action law suit), and damages are capped at $50,000. There is a penalty for “Cloning and implanting a human being†with a maximum fine of $250,000. But loophole permitted is implanting a human blastocyst from in vitro fertilization, allowing him or her to develop to any stage, and aborting him or her to harvest stem cells. Loopholes essentially neutralize penalties.
Prohibit: “No state or local law, regulation, rule, charter, ordinance, or other governmental action shall prevent, restrict, obstruct, or discourage any stem cell research or stem cell therapies…†Any law that could be construed to discourage cloning, no matter how remotely, will be unconstitutional.
Fiscal Impact: Amendment 2 will guarantee that no future Missouri law can limit the amount of public money for human-cloning research. If Missouri decides to fund any medical research, the taxpayers will be required to pay for cloning, since the funding of some biomedical research without the funding of cloning will be construed as creating a disincentive to clone, regardless of the intent of the legislature, and therefore will be unconstitutional. Nor could the taxpayers ever reduce the funding of any institution that clones human beings, even if the funding has nothing to do with cloning and regardless of the reason for the reduction. Any reduction in funding to a cloning institution, public or private, could be construed as an unconstitutional discouragement of cloning.
Amendment 2 would supersede the Missouri legislation set out in Section 188.010 and the medical definitions set out in Section 188.015 of the Missouri Revised Statues, Regulation of Abortions, which read as follows:
188.010. It is the intention of the general assembly of the state of Missouri to grant the right to life to all humans, born and unborn.
188.015 (3) “Conception,†the fertilization of the ovum of a female by the sperm of a male.
188.015 (6) “Unborn child,†the offspring of human beings from the moment of conception until birth and at every stage of its biological development, including the human conceptus, zygote, morula, blastocyst, embryo, and fetus.
Stem Cell: Essentially a “blank†cell, capable of becoming another more differentiated cell type in the body, such as a skin cell, a muscle cell, or a nerve cell. Microscopic in size, stem cells can be used to replace or even heal damaged tissues and cells in the body. They can serve as a built-in repair system for the human body, replenishing other cells as long as a person is still alive. There are currently 72 applications of human adult stem cell research fighting illnesses and disease.
God is our Creator and knows us from the moment we were conceived. “…. you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful,…†Psalm 139:13-14 (NIV) There is a continuity of human personhood. Life begins at fertilization. (Psalm 51:5) Christ’s incarnation began with a miraculous conception. Jesus was an embryo. Human life is sacred. We are made in God’s image. (Genesis 1:26-27, 9:5-6)
“Gray Area:†Destruction for medical research of unused embryos that are “discarded and destroyed†from In Vitro Fertilization. Actually 400,000 have been used in adoption programs such as the Snowflakes Frozen Embryo Adoption program (http://www.nightlight.org/).
“The most recent scientific evidence shows the use of human embryos for therapeutic stem cell research to be ineffective and unnecessary.” - Dr. Fazale Rana, one of the world’s top three leading experts in origin of life research.
See “Women’s voices against cloning” at Focus on the Family: http://www.family.org/cforum/votenocloning/
It talks of the exploitation of women that will occur in the push to harvest their eggs. Also see Fact Sheet: http://www.family.org/cforum/votenocloning/learn-missourians.html
The best analysis of this 2,100 word amendment can be found at: http://www.moroundtable.org
November 6th, 2006 at 10:09 am
This “Initiative†is actually a five page change to our State’s Constitution affecting 45 of its sections. Wording on this November’s ballot is deceptive, stating human cloning will be banned. Amendment #2 uniquely redefines terminology concerning cloning and only bans reproductive cloning. See actual language at http://www.NoCloning.org. Critique of the amendment is at http://www.moroundtable.org.
It’s all about Embryonic Stem Cell research and the moral question facing us in creating life to destroy it for potential cures. “Initiative†backers would have you believe it may lead to cures for debilitating diseases and spinal cord injuries. They advertise celebrities and lists of Doctors and Organizations in support. It sounds like a dream come true! Who does not have a loved one we want cured with a medical breakthrough?
However, it legalizes cloning (see diagram; What is Cloning? at http://www.dontsignalifeaway.org), using the same process that created Dolly “The Sheep.†Truth is the amendment is funded primarily by Stowers Medical Research of Kansas City ($12 million) to principally advance Embryonic Stem Cell research for profit. We do not need this amendment! There are now 72 available Adult Stem Cell treatments (www.stemcellresearch.org) but none on the horizon using Embryonic Stem Cells. We have no state restrictions to Adult Stem Cell research and Missourians already have access to their cures.
“Women’s Voices Against Cloning” at Focus on the Family (www.family.org/cforum/votenocloning) points out the medical complications and exploitation of women in the push to harvest the millions of needed eggs for embryonic research. Unused embryos from In Vitro Fertilization programs are being adopted (Snowflake program at http://www.nightlight.org).
See Missouri Clergy Against Human Cloning (www.missouriansfortruth.org), a coalition of major denominations opposing the Amendment, for more information and note the Doctors and Scientists in opposition (www.nocloning.org/physicians.html).
Give a close look at the above Web Sites to be an informed voter.