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Thanks for the Amy Comstock-Rick copy. I couldn't ferret out the exemplars in my million emails when I wrote my comment last night! Amy's has just the right information and tone for a knowledgable layman! I forwarded it to my contacts to cut and paste. Kathleen 2009/5/14 rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> > Wonderful John... > Rayilyn Brown > Director AZNPF > Arizona Chapter National Parkinson Foundation > [log in to unmask] > > -------------------------------------------------- > From: "JOHN YOCHIM" <[log in to unmask]> > Sent: Thursday, May 14, 2009 1:55 AM > To: <[log in to unmask]> > Subject: Re: ESCR under attack - CONTACT NIH TODAY!!! > > Thank you Ray. I told them. >> >> --- On Thu, 5/14/09, rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> From: rayilynlee <[log in to unmask]> >> Subject: ESCR under attack - CONTACT NIH TODAY!!! >> To: [log in to unmask] >> Date: Thursday, May 14, 2009, 1:16 AM >> >> CONTACT THE N.I.H. TODAY! A personal request from Don C. Reed >> Action asked: Click on the following to contact National Institutes of >> Health: >> >> http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm. >> >> Dear Stem Cell Research Advocate: >> >> The next 14 days are crucial in the stem cell research struggle. >> >> Here's why. >> >> Remember when President Obama signed that document removing the Bush stem >> cell restrictions? That same day he called upon the National Institutes of >> Health to draft a new set of guidelines for scientists wanting federal >> funding. >> >> Those guidelines have just been issued. ( >> http://stemcells.nih.gov/policy/2009draft.htm) >> >> The next 14 days are the comment period for the new guidelines for stem >> cell research, which American scientists will have to live with if they want >> federal funding. This is the public's only chance to shape those guidelines: >> which can be improved-or made worse. >> Unfortunately, there are problems! >> >> Not only are the guidelines far more conservative than we had hoped, but >> opponents of the research are systematically flooding the comment process. >> >> Led by the Catholic Church and other conservative religious bodies, a >> national campaign has begun: to attack early stem cell research by mass >> emails to the NIH. >> >> *"The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) launched a new >> "Oppose Destructive Stem Cell Research" campaign today, equipping citizens >> to contact Congress and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to oppose >> embryonic stem cell research ." -- WASHINGTON, May 6 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ >> www.usccb.org/stemcellcampaign >> >> Is their anti-research campaign having an effect? >> >> Dr. Wise Young of Rutgers University , ". of the 6000 plus comments that >> NIH has received concerning the draft guidelines, 99% were from people who >> opposed embryonic stem cell research."-Carecure Forum >> http://sci.rutgers.edu/forum/showpost.php?p=1039001&postcount=12 >> Imagine what the enemies of research will do with a statistic like that! >> Think of the State Senators and Representatives who have to fight for stem >> cell funding-they will be hammered-no politician ever wants to stand alone. >> >> Supporters of stem cell research must be heard. >> >> To prevail, we need to do three things: inform ourselves, act >> individually, and reach out to our networks. >> First, read this message all the way through; it contains background >> information from the Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research >> (CAMR), and other sources. >> >> Second, send your message to the government. Click on the comment box you >> will find at the following url: >> http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm >> >> Third, SHARE THIS LETTER-or write your own-- email all your contacts. >> >> Any statement of support has impact. One sentence can make a difference. >> >> Something like: "I support embryonic stem cell research, and am glad some >> of the restrictions are being loosened." That matters. >> >> Anyone who clicks on the comment box, and writes in a sentence-that >> message will be tallied as one citizen in support. Of course, you may say >> more if you want. If you are a long-term research supporter, your letter >> will be put in the expert witness category. >> >> (If you want to get more involved in shaping the guidelines, that would be >> helpful. The guidelines are politically very timid, and must be >> strengthened. Problems: >> >> a "grandfather clause" is needed to insure that every stem cell line >> already approved under the previous stringent guidelines will be eligible; >> that alternate sources of stem cell lines such as SCNT and parthenogenesis >> will not be excluded from funding, and more. (see CAMR comments below.) >> >> But every patient advocate in America must at least click on the comment >> box, and make a statement in support of early stem cell research. >> >> This affects everyone in America, and the world. MORE THAN ONE PERSON IN A >> FAMILY MAY COMMENT. Every adult friend or family member should click and >> make a comment-- as well as every scientist, medical student, every teacher, >> every parent-everyone who has a reason to want stem cell therapies and >> cures. >> >> Here it is, one more time: http://nihoerextra.nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm. >> >> Or, send a letter (ideally on letterhead) to: NIH Stem Cell Guidelines, >> MSC 7997, 9000 Rockville Pike, Bethesda , Maryland , 20892-7997 >> >> But whatever you are going to do, do it now. There is very little time >> before the May 26th deadline. >> >> We have worked hard, many years. We are so close. We must not falter now. >> >> Click on the button, send your comments in-do it today, please. >> >> And thanks. You make the difference: you are one of the overworked few who >> change the world. >> >> P.S. Here is a letter from Amy Comstock-Rick, President of the Coalition >> for the Advancement of Medical Research (CAMR); I copied it from CAMR's >> website, where much more information can be found: www.camradvocacy.org. >> Help Ensure Strong Federal Support for Embryonic Stem Cell Research - >> Submit Comments to the NIH on its Draft Guidelines >> As you know, President Obama recently issued an Executive Order >> instructing the National Institutes of Health (NIH) to develop guidelines to >> establish a framework for federal funding of embryonic stem cell research. >> NIH has released its draft guidelines, and the public has the opportunity to >> comment on the draft over the next few weeks. NIH will analyze the content, >> as well as volume, of the comments as it finalizes the guidelines. >> It will be critical for NIH to hear from the public during the comment >> period. Please follow the instructions below to submit your comments to >> ensure that the final guidelines are crafted in a way that ensures that this >> science advances as quickly as possible. And, please share the link to this >> page with your friends, family, and anyone you know who supports embryonic >> stem cell research. >> How to submit your comments: >> Click http://nihoerextra..nih.gov/stem_cells/add.htm to be connected to >> the NIH comment form; >> Provide your name, and select `self' for Affiliation; and >> Copy and paste the text below into the comment box, provide the security >> check ID on the form, and click `submit comments.' >> Suggested comment text (copy and paste into Comment section of NIH comment >> form and edit as appropriate for you): >> Embryonic stem cell research holds great promise for millions of Americans >> suffering from many diseases and disorders. I am not a scientist, but I have >> been following progress in this field with great interest. Significant >> strides have been made over the past decade, and the final guidelines issued >> by NIH must build on this progress so that cures and new therapies can get >> to patients as quickly as possible. The final guidelines should not create >> new bureaucratic hurdles that will slow the pace of progress. >> I am pleased that these draft guidelines -- in Section II B -- would >> appear to permit federal funding of stem cell lines previously not eligible >> for federal funding and for new lines created in the future from surplus >> embryos at fertility clinics. However, as drafted, Section II B does not >> ensure that any current stem cell line will meet the criteria outlined and >> thus be eligible for federal funding. It will be important for the final >> guidelines to allow federal funds for research using all stem cell lines >> created by following ethical practices at the time they were derived. This >> will ensure that the final guidelines build on progress that has already >> been made. >> I also believe that the final guidelines should permit federal funding for >> stem cell lines derived from sources other than excess IVF embryos, such as >> somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT). Sections II B and IV of the draft >> guidelines do not permit such federal funding and I recommend that the final >> guidelines provide federal funding using stem cell lines derived in other >> ways. If not, it is essential that the NIH continue to monitor developments >> in this exciting research area and to update these guidelines as the >> research progresses. >> Thank you! >> Sincerely, >> Amy Comstock Rick, president >> Coalition for the Advancement of Medical Research >> >> 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 > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn