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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/ * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn