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1.. Hwang Wu-Suk is innocent until proven guilty. He says he made stem cell lines by Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT or therapeutic cloning)-and that he can do it again-he deserves time to try to prove he is in the right, not instant condemnation. A man's reputation is at stake here. But Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer itself is not on trial. No great scientific breakthrough happens easily, and the endless barriers against SCNT research in this country make progress only more difficult. 3.. With an estimated one hundred million Americans suffering an incurable disease or disability, we must not be cheated, distracted, or tricked away from solid provable stem cell science. Adult stem cell research has had a fifty year head start, and overwhelming funding compared to embryonic stem cell research-in 2004, adult stem cell research received $203 million compared to only $24 million for embryonic-and nothing whatsoever for SCNT. If we want to find out the truth about this potentially amazing medical breakthrough, we need to fund research on SCNT. 5.. Those who object to embryonic stem cell research for religious reasons should consider that in SCNT research there is no actual embryo involved-no sperm, no implantation in the womb, no womb at all-just stem cells for cure. Is that not worth investigating, especially with the possibility of healing spinal cord injury paralysis, or finding a cure for diabetes, Parkinson's, AIDS, Alzheimer's and many more dreaded maladies? Political restrictions prevent NIH grants from going to American scientists who want to study SCNT; should we be surprised if the research is done elsewhere, perhaps without proper safeguards? If it is successful, other nations may reap the benefits we could have enjoyed. Why not do it here, in our own country, and make sure it is done right? 7.. America's medical system is increasingly unable to handle the enormous numbers of chronically ill citizens: health insurance is more and more unaffordable, because of the vast numbers of people who at best can only be maintained in their misery, and who will never get well. Cure is the best way to lower gigantic medical costs. Use any of these as starting points, or ignore them altogether and make your own: but whatever you do, do something: now is the time to let your voice be heard. ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn