So that we may all have a chance to get better

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Date:

Tue, 8 Jan 2002 18:43:49 -0600

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Subject:

Press Release: Law to Criminalize Embryonic

Stemcell Research Opposed (HR-2505)

 

 

 

 

 

Press Release

Contact: Don C. Reed

Chairperson

Californians for Cure

(510) 656-4000 ext 3026 phone

donreed27

 

 

Medical Research Position Statement Released: Opposes

Controversial

Bill, HR-2505, In Congress

 

A LAW TO CRIMINALIZE EMBRYONIC STEMCELL RESEARCH?

Parent of son paralyzed in college football game

lobbies against

HR-2505: the Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001: claims

bill would stifle

scientific inquiry, choke off vital research, leave

sick and injured people

to suffer on their own.

http://www.californiansforcure.com

 

 

SACRAMENTO CA USA -- JAN 09, 2002 -- MEDICAL INDUSTRY

E-MAIL NEWS

SERVICE -- The following position statement

regarding HR-2505 was

released today by the Chairperson of the spinal cord

injury research advocacy

group, Californians for Cure.

 

As the father of a paralyzed son, and the sponsor of

California's

recently-passed Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research

Act*, I strongly

support embryonic stemcell research.

 

Unfortunately, that most promising avenue of research

may soon become

illegal. A new law is being rapidly shoved through

Congress, to

criminalize the source of all new embryonic stemcells.

When the existing

stemcell lines become unstable and die out, which they

will, no replacements

would be allowed: ever.

 

As a medical professional, you are doubtless familiar

with therapeutic

cloning: the way to construct embryonic stemcells. The

new law, House

Resolution 2505: the Cloning Prohibition Act of 2001,

would make this a

federal crime. Under HR-2505, the penalty for

therapeutic cloning would

be 10 years imprisonment, a $1,000,000 fine, and the

impoundment of

laboratory equipment.

 

If a researcher discovered the cure for cancer,

paralysis, Ahlzheimer's

and AIDS -- but used therapeutic cloning for stemcells

-- he or she

would collect their Nobel Peace Prize in jail.

 

Ridiculous? Yes. But HR-2505 has already passed the

House of

Representatives. The President has promised to sign it

-- and the United States

Senate will be considering this bill in the next few

weeks.

 

Should America's biotech industry be cut off from the

potentially

enormous field of cure, while other countries reap the

profits?

 

For financial reasons alone, embryonic stemcell

research must be

encouraged. Last year, America spent $1.2 trillion

dollars on medical

costs—which unquestionably adds to our economic

crisis. No nation can afford

such a burgeoning mountain of medical debt. It is not

good economic

sense to try to reduce medical costs by discouraging

research for cures.

 

Yet there is a greater reason to promote research, and

that is the

purpose of medicine itself: to ease human suffering:

like blindness, heart

disease, Parkinson’s, or paralysis.

 

Even as we speak, Israel is developing a way to use

embryonic stemcells

to rebuild the damaged human heart; Japan is using

similar techniques

to overcome blindness by regrowing the eye, and

American researchers

just announced an embryonic stemcell breakthrough in

fighting Parkinson’s

disease-- should such research be illegal?

 

My son Roman Reed is paralyzed from the shoulders

down, resulting from

an accident in a college football game. He never

complains about it;

but I see what he goes through: unable to stand, or

even close his

fingers. What if that was your loved one? Imagine the

daily frustrations and

humiliations of helplessness: just using the restroom

means

catheterization.

 

If embryonic stemcell research is allowed to go

forward, my son may one

day be healed; he will rise and walk away from his

wheelchair.

 

Should an act of Congress deny an injured person the

hope of cure?

 

If HR-2505 passes the Senate, our single best hope of

cure will be

denied: not for one person, but for millions. As many

as 100 million

Americans today suffer a disease or medical condition

currently considered

incurable -- but which embryonic stemcells might ease,

alleviate, or

cure. Suffering people should not be condemned to

hopelessness, when the

answer to their agony is within our reach.

 

As Roman puts it, " Take a stand with us today, in

favor of medical

research. Take a stand -- so one day, everybody can. "

 

Only the Senate can now prevent this anti-science,

anti-patient, anti-

human rights bill from becoming the law of the land.

 

Please. Contact your two national Senators today. Urge

them to oppose

HR-2505. For your convenience, their addresses, emails

and phone numbers

can be found at:

http://www.Senate.gov

 

And send a copy of that letter to the leadership of

both political

parties: Majority Leader Senator Thomas Daschle,

(D-SD) 509 Hart Senate

Office Bldg, Washington, DC 20510 and Minority Leader

Senator Trent

Lott, (R-MS), 487 Russell Senate Office Bldg,

Washington, DC 20510

 

We must not allow political partisanship to divide us

on this. HR-2505

must be defeated.

 

Feel free to copy this letter. Forward it to friends,

family, email

groups, and post it on bulletin boards. Above all,

please write or call

your senators today.

 

Thank you.

 

Don C. Reed

Chairperson, Californians for Cure,

Sponsor of Roman Reed Spinal Cord Injury Research Act,

Dad of Roman Reed

 

P.S. Like most people, I am concerned about the

potential horrors of

human reproductive cloning, which is very different

from therapeutic

cloning. In my opinion, reproductive cloning

(multiplying babies) is wrong

and should be illegal. But therapeutic cloning (cells)

must be allowed.

Better legislation is available, which would eliminate

reproductive

cloning, but retain therapeutic cloning, the healing

science America

needs. HR-2505, unfortunately, throws out the good

with the bad.

 

P.S.S. Your letter to the Senators need not be long.

One page is about

all their offices have time to read anyway. Put at the

top: RE: Oppose

HR-2505. That is the key. Also, for increased

effectiveness -- include

your telephone number. They will not call you, but

that lets them know

you are a real human being, not some marketing firm.

(Your letter

itself could be as short as one sentence, " As a

medical professional, I

support medical research, which means I oppose

HR-2505, and urge you to do

the same. " ) Please write that letter today, before the

pressures of

time and everyday life swallow up this opportunity.

 

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

 

*For more information on this issue, or on

California's Roman Reed

Spinal Cord Injury Research Act (which distributed

$2,000,000 in research

grants last year), please visit our website:

http://www.californiansforcure.com

 

Or, email me personally: donreed27

 

 

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