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Hi, Please be clear about Orin Hatch and Brownbach. Are you saying that Hatch is cosponsoring or supporting in any way any of the Brownbach proposals? The bill to criminalize therapeutic cloning and/or an amendment to ban patents for cloning of any kind, or his alternative of a moratorium on all cloning reproductive and therapeutic cloning. Orin Hatch came out on our side and said he supports therapeutic cloning because it uses an unfertilized egg that will never be implanted in the womb of any human or other animal. Is there a change in anywhere in Hatch's stand on this issue? What did Hatch say about therapeutic cloning? Charlotte Mancuso You wrote: Last Thursday evening Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback > presented > what appeared to be unscheduled presentations on the Feinstein and > Brownback bills. Both of the Senator’s agreed that human cloning > should > be banned. However, Senator Brownback appears to not understand the > issue and kept confusing matters with “human patenting” and > “reproductive cloning”. ... ----------- On Mon, 17 Jun 2002 11:34:25 -0600 Tom Berdine <[log in to unmask]> writes: > Action Alert 2002-2: We are hoping to bombard Senator Phil Gramm’s > (Texas) phone lines and emails. > This is the start of a daily campaign to call each Senator > co-sponsored > to Brownback's bill. One Senator will be targeted each day. > Everyone contact Senator Gramm at one or all of the following, have > your > friends and family to the same. Background information follows as > well > as a sample email at the end. > > E-mail: [log in to unmask] > > Washington Office: > Phone: (202) 224-2934 > Fax: (202) 228-2856 > 370 Russell Senate Office Building > Washington, D.C. 20510-4302 > > Main District Office: > Phone: (214) 767-3000 > Fax: (214) 767-8754 > 2323 Bryan, #2150 > Dallas, TX 75201 > > > Last Thursday evening Senators Orrin Hatch and Sam Brownback > presented > what appeared to be unscheduled presentations on the Feinstein and > Brownback bills. Both of the Senator’s agreed that human cloning > should > be banned. However, Senator Brownback appears to not understand the > issue and kept confusing matters with “human patenting” and > “reproductive cloning”. He gave several examples of letters written > to > him expressing fears that stem cell technology would lead to human > cloning and unethical practices as well as a chart outlining the > growth > of a woman from frozen “fertilized” egg to a 28 year old woman. He > was > trying to say that in the process of SCNT, which uses “unfertilized” > eggs, human life is destroyed at the cellular level. > Co-sponsors of Brownback’s bill are clearly misinformed on this > technology. SCNT, therapeutic cloning, takes an “unfertilized” human > egg, removes the female DNA from the egg, transplants DNA such as > skin > cells from the intended recipient of the stem cells, then the egg is > “shocked” to cause the cells to divide which creates an “embryo” > (not a > human life bearing embryo, simply an embryo where these stem cells, > not > babies, can grow), after a few days the new “embryonic” stem cells > are > removed (and obviously the “embryo” is destroyed in the process. The > stem cells have the capability to become any cell in the human body. > To > include cells that would regenerate dopamine as in the case of > Parkinson’s disease. > Many co-sponsors of the Brownback bill fear this technique will be > used > “someday” to clone humans—which is known as “reproductive cloning” > where > the donors DNA remains intact within the egg. This is not the issue > at > hand and we must let these co-sponsors, and Senator Brownback > understand > this. > In short, the SCNT technology saves lives, maybe yours someday and we > must not allow the Brownback bill to ban this crucial research. > We at YoungParkinsons.com, and we of the pending Young Onset > Parkinson’s > Association, ask for your help in this matter. > We ask that you call Senator Brownback’s office on Friday the 14th, > and > discuss with them how this technology can help you and explain to > him or > his staffer that this is not reproductive cloning as they are > misleading > the country with. > Please call Senator Brownback at (202) 224-6521, Fax him at (202) > 228-1265, or email him at [log in to unmask] > Sample email follows if you wish to cut and paste it, and replace the > highlighted text with your own story. > “Dear Senator Gramm, > > I was very shocked and dismayed to see that you clearly do not > understand that the issue SCNT technology as supported by the > Feinstein > bill, this being therapeutic cloning using “unfertilized eggs”. > > This issue affects me greatly because I deal with the difficulties of > living with Parkinson’s on a daily basis. This technology is our best > chance for a cure within 5 to 7 years according to the National > Institute of Health (NIH). Just think I could be running and playing > with my children again, and that gives me hope. If you and your > co-sponsors do not educate yourselves on this issue, instead of being > blinded by political and corporate propaganda, then my hopes are set > on > the back burner. > > You have also changed your position on banning any such research and > now > ask for a 2 year moratorium. A moratorium isn’t necessary. SCNT/human > therapeutic cloning research has been studied and endorsed by the > Nationa lAcademy of Sciences. > > A moratorium would mean that important medical breakthroughs are put > on > hold indefinitely. People suffering from disease are told they will > just > have to wait for their cures. Many of these patients do not have > time to > wait and a research delay could be a death sentence. > > A moratorium sends a strong signal to the scientific community that > SCNT/human therapeutic cloning should not be pursued. Further, it > stigmatizes this research as suspect. Researchers will be unwilling > to > pursue this important area of science because of the stigma as well > as > the uncertainty about whether it will ever become an accepted form of > research. > > Shutting down research today and restarting it when a moratorium is > lifted is illogical. It makes no sense to impose a moratorium that > forces patients with diseases to wait two years before researchers > can > get started on potential cures and treatments. A moratorium will hold > back science much longer than two years. > > With a moratorium, SCNT research will continue in other countries > while > disallowed in the United States – the effects of this will be: > > > · Scientists may leave this country to perform research elsewhere. > This > has already begun. > > · Americans will not have first access to the newest, and potentially > best, treatments because new products will be developed in other > countries. > > · The U.S will surrender its ability to lead the world not only in > research, but to set the ethical and regulatory standards about how > this > research should be conducted. > > As you are also aware, the Feinstein Bill has/is being changed to > present stronger language and more detailed information on what > exactly > this technology is and what it is not. It definitely is not the > cloning > of human life; it is the cloning of cells that may further be > manipulated in various ways. This is life saving technology not life > destroyingd.” > > Sincerely, > > > > Tom Berdine > Founder; YoungParkinsons.com www.youngparkinsons.com > > State Coordinator, New Mexico Parkinson's Action Network > www.parkinsonsaction.org/ > > President, Young Onset Parkinson's Association (YOPA) > http://www.roundisfunny.com/test/pdhood.html > > > --- > Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. > Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > Version: 6.0.370 / Virus Database: 205 - Release Date: 6/5/2002 > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: > mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn