Posted on 11/08/2006 7:33:29 AM PST by Laissez-faire capitalist
The pattern in the media reportage about stem cells is growing very wearisome. When a research advance occurs with embryonic stem cells, the media usually give the story the brass-band treatment. However, when researchers announce even greater success using adult stem cells, the media reportage is generally about as intense and excited as a stifled yawn.
As a consequence, many people in this country continue to believe that embryonic stem cells offer the greatest promise for developing new medical treatments using the body's cells -- known as regenerative medicine -- while in actuality, adult and alternative sources of stem cells have demonstrated much brighter prospects. This misperception has societal consequences, distorting the political debate over human cloning and embryonic stem-cell research (ESCR) and perhaps even affecting levels of public and private research funding of embryonic and adult stem-cell therapies...
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalreview.com ...
Here are some facts though concerning funding for embryonic stem cell research.
1.) It is a media myth that this nation is falling behind in funding embryonic stem-cell research.
In fact, the truth of the matter is this:
California is spending over 1 billion dollars a year on embryonic stem cell research.
New Jersey is spending over 380 million dollars a year on it.
Connecticut is spending 100 million dollars a year on it.
The Harvard Institute is spending 30 million dollars a year on it.
The Star Foundation in New York is spending 50 million a year on it.
The private sector is spending billions of dollars a year on it, as this list is only a partial list of nationwide funding for embryonic stem-cell research currently taking place.
The two most renowned researchers leading the way on embryonic stem-cell research have come to Connecticut - to Yale University and the University of Connecticut.
In conmparison, the British gov't, form 2004 to 2006 has only spent 72.7 million on embryonic stem-cell research.
The Chinese government is only spending 30 million a year on it.
This country spends more on embryonic stem cell research than scores of nations do - combined.
This country is spending more on embryonic stem cell and it is a myth that we are "falling behind" on embryonic stem cell research.
Below is a link to numerous scientific studies showing the multiple and ever-growing success stories concerning adult stem cell research.
Adult Stem Cell Successes - Life Issues Institute
http://www.lifeissues.org/cloningstemcell/adultstemsuccess.htm
We will reap the whirlwind. It's not good for a nation so blessed to spit in the face of God.
The other problem with government funding of stem-cell research (and other types of research) is that in the private sector, researchers would have to show results or their programs would get shut down. If the program is funded by the government researchers could claim that "success is just around the corner" in order to continue funding, even if they know there are no successes to be found.
No politician is going to defund the program, when the researchers tell the press, that "a breakthrough is near." Eventually the program could get canned, but only after millions upon millions more have been wasted.
Wesley J. Smith BUMP!
Even that *we* are using a phrase like "falling behind in funding ESCR" implies the ethical neutrality of ESCR.
Far too many conservatives do not understand either (1) how to determine whether something is a human being and/or (2) why murder is wrong. We cannot afford not to be absolutely united on this issue.
-A8
Kathy Hudson and her colleagues at the Genetics and Public Policy Center in Washington DC asked more than 2000 Americans whether they approved of deriving stem cells from embryos produced by cloning. For half of the sample they used the term "SCNT" instead of "cloning", and this raised approval ratings from 29 per cent to 46 per cent, Hudson told a meeting of the American Society of Human Genetics in New Orleans last week.The New Scientist
liberal whiney feminized men and women only need to hear that not funding it will hurt someone - eventhough it destroys a life - and they will vote for it.
The RINO party had better figure out where it stand and put a line in the sand. Right now moderates and independents see no difference between the two parties.
The all powerful propaganda arm of the democrap party (the mainstream media whores) has shown once again that the sovereigns of this nation are sheep easily manipulated because they are too damn stupid and lazy to even oppose cannibalism.
bttt
Let's not forget the difference between embryonic stem cells and adult or umbilical cord blood stem cells. Blurring that distinction is precisely what the pragmatists do. My daughter's life was saved by stem cells from umbilical cord blood.
-A8
-A8
Very true.
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