Posted on 07/28/2004 12:15:25 AM PDT by JohnHuang2
WASHINGTON – Ron Reagan, son of the late Republican president, last night at the Democratic National Convention called on Americans to "cast a vote for embryonic stem-cell research" when they go to the polls in November.
But his older brother, Mike Reagan, says Ron doesn't know what he's talking about and is simply being used by the Democrats.
"I would love for Ron to get involved in the Alzheimers' Foundation or the Parkinson's Disease Foundation," said Michael Reagan on his nationally syndicated talk radio show. " I would love for that to happen. Ron Reagan, my brother – I love him. I would just hope he becomes more knowledgeable on the issue and honors our father."
Ron Reagan delivered what he called a "non-political" speech at the Democratic convention in Boston last night. But it was widely perceived as an endorsement speech for John Kerry and the Democrats.
"He is basically saying vote for Kerry and there will be stem-cell research," said Mike Reagan. "What I am saying is that there is already stem-cell research taking place. The media would have you believe – and my brother would have you believe – that stem-cell research is not going on. But it is."
Ron Reagan told the 20,000 people assembled at the convention that stem-cell research may lead to the "greatest medical breakthrough in our or in any lifetime."
In 2001, President Bush limited the use of federal funds for embryonic stem cell research, citing moral and ethical concerns about performing experiments with fertilized human embryos. Proponents of such research insist those restrictions interfere with efforts to develop new treatments for a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's, which slowly killed the former president.
However, adult stem-cell treatments have actually shown far more potential in treating dread diseases. Preliminary research involving embryonic stem-cell research has been associated with the development of tumors.
"Now, there are those who would stand in the way of this remarkable future," Ron Reagan said, speaking of potential discoveries, "who would deny the federal funding so crucial to basic research. A few of these folks, needless to say, are just grinding a political axe and they should be ashamed of themselves."
Ron Reagan told the delegates that the choice in November is more than selecting one ticket over another.
"We can choose between the future and the past," he said, "between reason and ignorance, between true compassion and mere ideology."
Ron Reagan prefaced his remarks by saying: "A few of you may be surprised to see someone with my last name showing up to speak at a Democratic convention. Let me assure you, I am not here to make a political speech, and the topic at hand should not – must not – have anything to do with partisanship."
He called embryonic stem-cell research the "greatest medical breakthrough in our or in any lifetime."
The issue of stem-cell research took center stage for the Reagan family because of Nancy Reagan's public support. The former first lady, along with other members of the family, has been very vocal in expressing the belief that the scientific community should be allowed to explore this controversial avenue in the search for a cure for Alzheimer's and other diseases.
While Ron Reagan, his mother, Nancy, and his sister, Patti, have weighed in in favor of embryonic stem-cell research, one member of the family opposes it.
As Michael Reagan put it recently: "The media continue to report that the Reagan family is in favor of stem cell research, when the truth is that two members of the family have been long time foes of this process of manufacturing human beings – my dad, Ronald Reagan during his lifetime, and me."
"The media should keep in mind that we are also members of the Reagan family, and my father, as I do, opposed the creation of human embryos for the sole purpose of using their stem cells as possible medical cures," said Michael Reagan.
Michael Reagan said embryonic stem-cell research could not have saved his father from the ordeal of Alzheimer's disease.
"This is junk science at its worst," he said.
I didn't know there was a lot of frozen low IQ people out there?
There would be if we wanted to use them.
Is anyone seriously concerned about arcane scientific disputes? There is some issue over whether or not adult or embryonic stem cells are potentially better for treating diseases - neither attproach is at this moment vastly much more than conceptual.
It's called the DNC
No, that's not true. Poor argument...Very poor.
You may have a problem with using frozen embryos for research, and then possibly in practice, rather than destroying them, and that's fine...To each his own. But, the vast majority do not have such a problem. Just like the vast majority do not consider the use of the pill abortion...But still, many Christians do consider it so.
The vast majority of Americans had no problem with slavery in 1830. Thankfully we were founded as a republic not a democracy. Mob rule is usually misguided.
WOW!!! Reagan speech BUMP!
Cartoon BUMP!
But on the flip side they will also not infect the next generation with their ignorance.
Democrats and sexual perverts should never be allowed to have (or come in contact with) children. Let both these diseases die out.
Yes, thanks in large part, to teachings found in the bible.
What is the fundamental difference between second trimester babies and newly concieved babies? or between newly conceived babies and babies immediately after birth?
I can't come up with one difference other than time. How can you treat them differently if they are the same?
The vast mnajority in this country has always been against forced human experimentation and (hopefully) always will be
More and more people are recognizing the newly conceived baby as fully human. I've heard that the pro-abortion camp is steadily losing the mind of the middle schoolers and high schoolers. The kids know that may be up to 40% of their classmates were murdered in the womb. And they don't like it one bit.
I hate to see this happening to Mike and his family.
The enemy always tries to destroy what God put together.
He is conniving to the point of looking normal. Then, watch out!
John 10:10 says he comes to steal, kill and destroy.
But Jesus said "I came that you might have LIFE, and that, more abundantly"!
Satan's best play for power is looking like he's perfectly normal.
Scripture calls him an angel of light. 2 Cor. 11:14
If we aren't in tune with the Lord God of heaven............we will be charmed by him. And we will do his bidding!
We are seeing this ploy right in the city of Boston, this week!
Here's something that will never escape me. When my wife was 8 weeks pregnant, she thought she was having some problems. We went in for an ultrasound. Everything was OK, and we saw my son's heart beating at 8 weeks. My son was alive at 8 weeks, there is no question. He may not be in the form he eventually will be in, but he is not in the same form now he will be in 5 years either.
The prochoice people are dishonest, and they hate the dissemination of information. Most recently, discussion that studies show that a fetus feels pain at a very early age, an age well within legal abortion terms. They do not want people to know what is really being done. That is why they will not agree to showing of an ultrasound, or what is done in the abortion procedure.
At what point does the embryo become a human with legal rights? Physically, an embryo is just the stage of being, is not a separate animal. An embryo is a human. Once conception takes place, the fertilized egg will become nothing but a human. The biggest joke of an argument is that it is not a human because it cannot function on its own. This is usually made by people like Bill Maher who have no kids. Let me tell you, they can't function on their own for a long, long time after the exit the womb. That cannot be a consideration.
Biblically, the Scripture tells us that "He knew us before we were formed in the womb."
So, to talk about the virtue of harvesting embryos to make our life better, to cure paralysis, is to ask the question at what cost do we go to make our own personal lives better at the expense of others? If this is cannabalism, the only way to justify this practice and make it mentally and socially acceptable is to dehumanize the embryos, and say they are nothing more than a mass of tissue.
You don't have a problem with the killing of innocent human beings because some other more powerful human beings covet their victims' body parts?
Cordially,
Frozen embryos are not "Human beings". Or, are you against using the same things to help women, who couldn't otherwise, get pregnant? And then disposing of those that weren't used?
I say rather than just disposing of them, use them for research if that research shows promise...And it looks like it does.
I'm listening to a 'bioethicist' on the radio with respect to this issue. These bioethicists are anything but.
Stem-cell research is a form of genetic engineering. So, I can't help but think that if RRjr had been pushing genetic engineered food instead, the "Frankenfood" crowd would have boo'ed him off the stage.
What are they then? pigs? cows? sheep?
A frozen embryo is nothing more and nothing less than a baby. killing it is murder. (And yes I feel the same about all un-implanted babies. The way in-vitro fertilization is now done (generating more embryos than are desired) is criminal)
The only thing I've heard is the grotesque torture that parkinson's sufferers go through after being injected with fetal stem cells. Apparently it causes them to have greatly amplified symptoms.
I've heard of no success whatsoever from using babies stem cells. Adult stem cell therapies however have had some success.
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