Attention Reporters: A Stem Cell Question for Mark Green
Since it seems the Green Team is trying to make the claim that its stance on stem cell research is a nuanced one, I have a question reporters might care to ask Green to clarify even more where he stands on this issue.
First, a little context for the question:
Green has stated that he opposes using government funds for the destruction of embryos. Here is the exact line from Green in a Journal-Sentinel article today: “What I have supported is preventing tax dollars from being used to destroy human embryos.”
Green has also stated that he does not oppose private research that destroys human embryos (see the same JS article cited above).
Research that seeks to develop new embryonic stem cell lines destroys embryos. The research on those lines, once developed, does not require the destruction of embryos.
Now, onto the question itself:
Congressman Green, since you oppose using government funds for research that destroys embryos but support private research that destroys embryos, do you support government funding of research on new embryonic stem cell lines developed through privately-funded research?
And here are some follow-up questions, depending on how Green responds…
If yes, does this mean that – if elected governor – you would be willing to allocate state funds for research on new embryonic stem cell lines once they have been developed privately?
Also, are you aware that this is the position the Clinton Administration held on embryonic stem cell research, as well as the one currently held by the European Union, and that it’s in stark contrast to the position maintained by the Bush Administration?
If no, since the research on new lines does not involve the destruction of embryos, on what grounds do you oppose publicly funding it?
This series of questions will serve the dual purpose of clarifying exactly where Green stands on the issue of embryonic stem cell research and further educating the public about the true scope of this debate.
Any takers?
posted by Seth Zlotocha at Thursday, July 27, 2006
3 Comments:
That sounds about right.
Talk about a nuanced position. The EU will continue to refuse to fund any research that "seeks to procure stem cells by destroying embryos".
In other words, if somebody else wants to do the dirty deed, we'll be happy to take advantage and use what they produce. Why the convoluted logic? Because Germany, Italy, and others would have blocked all embryonic funding with out this "nuance" to make them feel better.
"In Germany, memories are coloured by Nazi experiments during WWII." BBC
There's no convoluted logic to the EU's position. That group is a consortium of very diverse countries -- that their unified policy is still more liberal than the US's position says something about the direction Bush & Co. are taking our country.
And, just out of curiosity, was it convoluted logic in 2001 when Bush said that federal funding could go toward research on existing lines because -- as you put it -- "the dirty deed" was already done?
And the fact is a majority of people in this state, country, and the Western world don't see embryonic stem cell research (or IVF, for that matter) as a "dirty deed." The only dirty deed for them is withholding resources from research that holds the most promise for fighting a wide range of deadly and debilitating diseases.
If Green wants to take the position that he doesn't want taxpayer dollars to fund research that destroys embryos but that it's no problem for private dollars to fund that type of research, then he needs to explain why he opposes research on lines that doesn't require the destruction of embryos.
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