# 369 Tuesday, September 18, 2007 - UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI PRESIDENT TAKES A
STAND

Living in California right now, is like living in the future. When you
attend any of the meetings of the Independent Citizens Oversight Committee
(ICOC), you will see dedicated men and women struggling to work out issues
and answers on stem cell research funding.  Often, they disagree, sometimes
vigorously; but always, always, they are reaching for the light.

One day, leadership across America and the world will be as supportive.

But that time is not now.

In Missouri, for example, the people of the "Show Me" state went through an
enormous political struggle in 2006, trying to pass Amendment 2, which
stated that any research technique allowed by federal law would also be
allowed in Missouri.

What was all the fuss about?  SCNT, Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer, a method
of making stem cells, involves no sperm, no implantation in the womb, no
womb, and absolutely no babies-except maybe a child being healed.

Missouri, like California, had the great debate. Both sides were heard to
the point of exhaustion. And the result was a victory for research for cure.

Missouri voted to support the right of her scientists to do research in
American freedom.

However, immediately after the election, the opposition started again.

The anti-research side is currently trying for a "do-over", a constitutional
amendment to erase the vote they did not like.

They cranked up their propaganda machine, came up with the "Cures without
Cloning Amendment Initiative", and began trashing the research once more.

In the short run, they have achieved what they no doubt regard as a victory,
having delayed the construction of the new Stowers Medical Institute, which
billion-dollar investment might have helped millions of suffering people.

I guess the Religious Right has nothing better to do with its time than to
try and shut down research which might cure cancer, paralysis, AIDS and
Alzheimer's.

It would be natural for the folks on our side to be tired of fighting.

Fortunately, Missourians are not fond of being cheated.

They are speaking up, and that is an example to us all.

One day, (and may that day be soon), there will be cures from embryonic stem
cell research and Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT). When that happens,
all the useless trash-talk from the opposition will be recognized as
meaningless noise, and candidates who supported such ignorance will find
themselves swept into the dustbin of history.

The opposition will be silent: as they are now on blood transfusions, heart
transplants, vaccines, x-rays, anesthetics, and all the other medical
advances they originally tried to prohibit.

But that day is not now.

If we want to win in this generation, not a hundred years from now, we need
to be a little noisier, get a bit more vocal about our beliefs.

Now, I am very brave about recommending hard work and courage on someone
else's part. My job does not depend on keeping everybody happy. This little
blog costs me nothing (and Karen Miner does the hard work of it) so I can
just babble away and people are free to ignore me.

But what if you or I were President of a college?

Such leaders are taken very seriously-every public word they say is
recorded.

Understandably, a lot of college leaders never commit themselves on any
public issue. They just smile broadly and say, "Oh, that's politics, no
comment!".

Life is easier that way.

Of course, it also means the anti-research side will prevail.

Which is why I was delighted to find the following act of courage:

Statement from University of Missouri Interim President Gordon H. Lamb
regarding proposed anti-research constitutional amendment:

The Cures without Cloning Amendment initiative states that "no taxpayer
dollars should be used to research or experiment using a human organism or
any part of a human organism derived from cloning or attempting to clone a
human being." This amendment assaults Missouri and Missouri's primary public
research university, the University of Missouri.
In their effort to eliminate somatic cell nuclear transfer research, the
group championing this amendment is taking the first step to controlling and
impeding Missouri's research agenda and potential for future research. And
they are doing so in a way that could permanently destroy the future of
research in the state and in its universities.
The research being done at the University of Missouri and being planned for
the future neither creates life, as the amendment initiative alleges, nor
takes the next step of introducing life into a woman's womb. Instead, the
research is a small but critical part of life sciences research that has the
potential to give life to people who have serious life-threatening diseases,
such as diabetes, Parkinson's, ALS and others, including devastating spinal
injuries.
Research is a core mission of the university. Through our research, we
explore many avenues of discovery from optical implants that may give vision
to the blind, social research to create better living environments, artistic
research and creative activities, assistance to businesses to help our
citizens, and other research that affects every area of study and life.
Another mission is teaching, and we, long ago, protected the teaching
environment from an intrusion similar to this current intrusion into our
research activities. Academic freedom - the freedom to teach approved
subjects in the manner best determined by the professor - protects us from
destructive intrusion that would jeopardize the education of our students.
Though any of us may take issue, from time to time, with the manner of
teaching or the subject of a class discussion, we understand that the
latitude given to faculty is important in the search for truth and the
ability of faculty to lead students to a critical awareness and
understanding of the subject.
Research must have the same protection, a protection from the few who,
seeking to reinforce their own personal biases, would shut down research
done by highly competent and dedicated scientists.
The university should never be subjected to this type of intrusion and
control. It is antithetical to the principles on which the university as a
whole is founded, and on which the University of Missouri was founded. This
amendment initiative should be rejected."-September 7, 2007

On behalf of America's one hundred million citizens who suffer from
incurable illness or injury, thank you, President Gordon H. Lamb.

(And a special appreciation for the wonderful advocacy efforts of Diane
Wyshack, who daily locates and shares much valuable  information on stem
cell research.)

Don Reed
www.stemcellbattles.com

Rayilyn Brown
Board Member AZNPF
Arizona Chapter National Parkinson's Foundation
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