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Please see important information below------------- -----Original Message----- From: [log in to unmask] [mailto:[log in to unmask]] Sent: Friday, February 09, 2001 2:05 PM Subject: Stem Cell Public Funding Petition In the first "cross-disease" effort on the Massachussetts Genereal Hospital Web Forum (30,000+ and growing), we have put together a campaign, with an online petition and letter -writing options, to pressure the President NOT to issue an executive order rescinding the public funding executive order which has allowed such research to be funded under strict guidelines limited to in vitro embryos which are scheduled for discard after being cultivated for fertilization in an in vitro procedure. Bush has referred this for "further study" by HHS Secretary Tommy Thompson, but is widely believed to want to make a decision before March fifteen. Therefore, the time to strike is while the iron is hot, and before Bush takes a political step that will be hard to undo without losing political face. If you agree with the petition, please sign it and spread the word. Of the over 1000 petitions currently being handled by petitions online (the service carrying the petition) yesterday, first day out of the box, and a half day at that, this petition wa number 11 in signatures gathered. Please help keep the momentum going , and see you all at the next meeting. Here's the info.: * MEMBERS AND FRIENDS OF THE MGH NEUROLOGY FORUMS * Act now to make your voice heard in support of federal funding of embryonic and fetal stem cell research! Write a letter today, or use the one below. Then clip this whole page and send it to friends, family, and colleagues--everyone on your e-mail list--and get them involved! HERE'S HOW TO CONTACT THE PRESIDENT: * BY E-MAIL: [log in to unmask] (If you would like a personal response to your e-mail be sure to include your mailing address in your message.) * BY POSTAL MAIL: President George W. Bush The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 * BY PHONE: Voice: 202-456-1414 TTY/TDD: 202-456-6213 Comment Line 202-395-1160 Fax: 202-456-2461 To Sign A Petition Supporting Embryonic And Fetal Stem Cell Research, GO TO: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/stmcll/petition.html To E-mail An Editorial To Your Local Newspaper Or Favorite Magazine, GO TO: http://www.mrsmithmedia.com/ To Send E-Mail Or Postal Mail To Your U.S. Senators Or Representative, GO TO: http://congress.org/elecmail.html THE TEXT BELOW IS SUITABLE TO COPY AND PASTE INTO ANY OF THE ABOVE LETTER FORMS, AND TO SEND TO YOUR E-MAIL LIST! Dear Sir, I am writing to urge support for federal funding of human embryonic and fetal stem cell research. This field shows great promise in leading to treatment or cure of a wide spectrum of diseases, including Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, ALS, and spinal cord injuries. The undifferentiated pluripotent master cells that researchers cull from fetal tissue and embryos have the ability to divide indefinitely and in later stages of development specialize into cells that make up most tissues of an organism (but not an entire human). Scientists say that by guiding the growth of these cells it might be possible to culture new organs to replace ailing hearts, or neurons for the treatment of brain disease or injury. Indeed, a recently completed 3-year study in humans with Parkinson's Disease showed fetal cells to be highly beneficial. A recent poll indicates 2 out of 3 Americans support pluripotent stem cell research, yet politics continues to jeopardize this effort. The cruel irony is that concern for the well-being of embryos is misplaced here. Scientists at John Hopkins University report that the number of embryonic cell lines currently in cultivation is sufficient to supply future research needs--so that not a single embryo needs be destroyed. The use of fetal tissue from terminated pregnancies is necessary because of the likelihood of genetic mutations in tissue derived from miscarriages. Much as each organ donation is a happy by-product of a sad event, the beneficial use of fetal tissue after a terminated pregnancy in no way means that researchers caused or condoned the act--it simply offers a truly productive use for tissue that would otherwise be discarded. A Yale University stem cell researcher working with noted Dr. Evan Snyder has reported that results of latest primate stem cell studies show tremendous promise in treating ALS, Parkinson's and spinal cord injuries. He acknowledged that a ban on federal funding of human pluripotent stem cell research will have very detrimental effects on the stem cell field as a whole. Stem cell pioneer Dr. John Gearhart of Johns Hopkins University has cited the previous federal ban as "slowing the pace of discovery. Without federal money the research will be taken up in the private sector, which will make the whole process less open." Without stem cell research millions of people will remain paralyzed, suffer, and die needlessly. Please help protect and extend federal government funding of research involving human embryonic and fetal stem cells. Most Sincerely, Your Name To Learn More About Stem Cells, CLICK HERE: http://www.nih.gov/news/stemcell/primer.htm