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February 2, 2007 Dear SCAN Members, While we are all waiting and wondering about what will happen in the U.S. Senate, it's a good idea not to overlook what is happening in the individual states. Some states have passed laws to outlaw embryonic stem cell research; others have passed laws to protect it, while others have either ignored the issue or failed to pass anything at all. (For a review of state laws, click here.) Meanwhile, many private institutions within a particular state are funding research programs. Some are expressly designing programs to be inclusive of all sources of embryos, while others are allowing research on stem cells, but not embryonic ones. What a confusing mess! Governor Crist of Florida changed his mind this week; after first announcing a $20 million dollar fund for SCR, this week he said such funding would not include embryonic cells. Many of our elected representatives seem comfortable to limit the research, despite the fact that scientists are uniformly telling them that it is premature and foolhardy to eliminate funding from the cell type that has so far shown itself to be the most promising. The opposition's voices in the nation's press equate human life with unimplanted microscopic embryos. But whichever side you take on that specific question, that is not the question before the members of Congress. The current bill concerns only embryos that are going to be destroyed. They have no future; saving them is not an option. (Yes, some are available for adoption, but very few. Most of the couples who have produced them do not choose to give them to strangers for this purpose.) I would like to hear a legislator, governor, etc. explain why it is more ethical, more humane to destroy these cells rather than donate them for research. Please write to your Senator in Washington (if he/she has voted against the bill - you can check this on the SCAN website) and ask this question. If you see an article in your local newspaper opposing the research, please write a letter to the editor. And when they start to talk about the sanctity of human life, remind them that that is not the issue here; the only issue is the future of your own health and of millions of other Americans. Thank you, Idelle Datlof Executive Director SCAN ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn