ACTNOW!
Support stem cell research
Visit this site:
http://www.thenation.com/alert/actnow/
Fill out the form and be heard electronically....  or...

Use the letter below to persuade President Bush, Vice President
Cheney and Secretary of Health and Human Services Tommy
Thompson to continue federal funding for research on embryonic
stem cells.

Research on embryonic stem cells has the vast potential to lead
to major medical breakthroughs and could possibly save tens of
thousands of lives. Yet the future of this critical work--which may
 significantly advance the treatment of Parkinson's, Alzheimer's,
spinal cord injuries, strokes, burns, heart disease, diabetes and
cancer--lies in doubt. President Bush is currently making the
decision as to whether or not to allow federal funding to continue,
and he is being heavily lobbied by antiabortion organizations
to keep this research from going forward. So crucial is the issue
to medical progress that even many conservative opponents
of abortion (such as GOP Senator Orrin Hatch) have come
out in support of the research, arguing that microscopic,
embryonic stem cells do not constitute life.

Embryonic stem cells,  derived during the blastocyst stage
of development (which occurs four days after fertilization),
have the ability to evolve into any human organ or tissue.
Therefore, stem cells might be used to repair ailing body parts
or to grow new organs, as well as to help researchers understand
how human development works. The cells used for this research
are typically obtained from fertility clinic embryos,
with the permission of the couples who created them.
Were the embryos not utilized for research, they would
likely be discarded.

Last year, the Clinton Administration allowed provisional
federal funding for stem cell research; President Bush must
now decide whether to strike down that ruling or to let it stand.
And even though several leading Republicans who oppose
abortion have expressed their support for stem cell research--
besides Hatch, these include Senator Strom Thurmond,
Representative Randy "Duke" Cunningham and former
senator Connie Mack--Bush is paying close attention to Catholic
and antiabortion organizations who oppose the funding. Secretary
of Health and Human Services Tommy Thompson (an antiabortion
Catholic) is in favor of letting federal financing continue, but his
is only one of several voices to have the president's ear.

According to the National Institutes of Health, "There is almost
no realm of medicine that might not be touched by this innovation."
It would be unacceptable if President Bush were to sacrifice such
groundbreaking medical progress to placate his conservative
constituencies. Don't let him hold our future health hostage
to extremists on the right.

Note: White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card and Senior
Advisor Karl Rove, who have been instrumental in advising
the president on this matter, do not have public email addresses.
You may contact them instead as follows:

Andrew H. Card: 202-456-6797 phone; 202-456-1907 fax

Karl Rove: 202-456-2369 phone; 202-456-0191 fax

For more information on stem cell research, read the NIH primer.
http://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/primer.htm

We've written a sample letter for you, but feel free to personalize
this.

Dear Mr. President, Mr. Vice President, and Mr. Thompson:

Stem cell research is one of medicine's most promising fields
of study. Because of embryonic stem cells' ability to evolve into
 human organs and tissues, scientists are making
unprecedented progress toward the treatment of Parkinson's
and Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injury, stroke, burns,
heart disease, diabetes, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis.

In addition, not only could this research lead to cures for cancer
 and birth defects, but it may also improve the way we develop
and test drugs--as well as further our understanding of how
human development works. In fact, according to the National
 Institutes of Health,  "There is almost no realm of medicine
that might not be touched by this innovation." And there are
many areas of study and treatment that would simply not be
possible using adult stem cells.

The embryos used to provide cells for this research are
obtained from fertility clinics and would otherwise be discarded;
it would be tragic for their potential value to be wasted rather
than used to advance scientific progress. Tens of thousands
of lives might be saved through embryonic stem cell
experiments. I urge you to join with Republicans such
as Senator Orrin Hatch and Senator Strom Thurmond by
accepting the NIH guidelines and allowing federal funding
of this important research to continue.

Thank you for your time.

http://www.thenation.com/alert/actnow/

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