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Thanks, Nic. I've been going through over 200 posts per day re the Obama action. Many are repeats of the original news story from different sources. There are also a great number of objections with the same arguments that ESCR means killing people and is inferior to ASCR. Maybe Diane is just sending me more posts but there seem to be more than there have ever been. Also, the Colorado personhood rights for blastocysts seems to be more prevalent. Arizona is a red state all the way so I'm just waiting to hear about it here. ESCR has been outlawed here and scientists have gone to other states. I'm confident science will win out in the long run, but the "church" can sure slow things down. Ray Rayilyn Brown Director AZNPF Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation [log in to unmask] -------------------------------------------------- From: "Nic Marais" <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Wednesday, March 11, 2009 2:19 AM To: <[log in to unmask]> Subject: Re: Dickey-Wicker linked to abortion politics > Ray I sense a 'deep' depression... > > Don't ever give up gal!! Your efforts are globally applauded :-)) > > Regards, > > Nic 57/15 > > > > > On Tue, Mar 10, 2009 at 9:26 PM, rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> The fight is not over; it has just begun. >> and I'm very tired. >> >> Ray >> >> Susan L. Solomon >> CEO, The New York Stem Cell Foundation >> Posted March 9, 2009 | 11:37 AM (EST) >> >> For the last eight years, human embryonic stem cell research -- which is >> improving our understanding of how we can treat and defeat diseases such >> as >> Parkinson's and diabetes -- has been a hostage of presidential politics. >> Monday's executive order by President Barack Obama changes that, lifting >> many restrictions on federal funding for research on new stem cell lines >> derived from human embryos. Unfortunately, this stroke of the pen does >> not >> remove key legislative hurdles that will continue to prevent federal >> dollars >> from being spent on this critical science. >> Stem cell research represents the most revolutionary area of medical >> research today, opening possibilities for treating cancer, diabetes, Lou >> Gehrig's disease, blindness and paralysis. The previous administration's >> ban >> cost researchers precious time in the race for new cures, treatments and >> discoveries. TIME magazine recently cited a New York Stem Cell >> Foundation-funded breakthrough by Dr. Kevin Eggan as the most significant >> scientific achievement in 2008. Because of the ban on federal funding, >> this >> groundbreaking work was only possible through the generosity of private >> donors. >> >> President Obama's symbolic decision to address this transforming medical >> issue will ultimately give laboratories nationwide new resources to >> change >> lives. But while the new administration brings a refreshingly friendly >> attitude toward science, in general, and stem cell research in >> particular, >> researchers will still lack easy access to the full range of >> possibilities >> that stem cells present. >> Significant obstacles remain in the path of stem cell research progress. >> The president possesses unilateral authority only to allow federal >> funding >> of research on new and existing embryonic stem cell lines -- he cannot >> single-handedly green-light federal funding to create the stem cell lines >> themselves. That's because Congress in 1996 banned the use of human >> embryos, >> even those discarded in fertility clinics or voluntarily made for >> scientific >> purposes, for research purposes -- including the creation of embryonic >> stem >> cells. That piece of legislation, the so-called Dickey-Wicker Amendment, >> is >> inextricably linked to abortion politics, and is unlikely to be removed >> from >> the books in the near future. >> >> It is crucial to our ultimate success to allow wide access to all of the >> stem cell lines that have already been created from embryos, as well as >> to >> continue to create new lines for comparative and other purposes, >> including >> the research that can only be done with human embryonic stem cells. >> Researchers throughout the world feel that the new "induced >> pluripotentiary >> stem cells" (iPS for short) are powerful tools for scientists studying >> the >> mechanisms of human disease in their laboratories. However, scientists >> agree >> that human embryonic stem cells remain the "gold standard" of research, >> making the production of new stem cells of urgent importance. >> Private funding sources like NYSCF, which are by nature far more nimble >> than government agencies, are still essential to advancing stem cell >> research. Private philanthropy is, and will continue to be, a critical >> and >> necessary driver of the most innovative and promising stem cell science. >> We cannot continue to ask our best scientists to work with one hand tied >> behind their backs. Finding better treatments and cures for these >> terrible >> diseases is urgent work. The New York Stem Cell Foundation will continue >> to >> use private philanthropy to ensure that scientists are able to perform >> the >> experiments that simply wouldn't be funded or initiated elsewhere, which >> will continue to change the way scientists and the public view what is >> possible in this burgeoning medical area. And we hope that Congress will >> act >> quickly, once and for all, to put patients before politics by putting >> science first. >> >> Rayilyn Brown >> Director AZNPF >> Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation >> [log in to unmask] >> ---------------------------------------------------------------------- >> 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 ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn