Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Mike Reagan takes on Ron Reagan: Sons of former president battle over stem-cell research
WorldNetDaily.com ^ | Wednesday, July 28, 2004

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.


TOPICS: Front Page News; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: michaelreagan; ronreagan; stemcells
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-102 next last
To: Mister Blond
Hardly. I didn't call you names. That is another lie. You rebutted my equation of abortion to abolition by claiming that the Bible supported slavery. Mention of slavery in the Bible is not relevant to the fact that Christians have rejected slavery on Biblical grounds and do so with abortion as well.
81 posted on 07/28/2004 5:12:14 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
I'm not interested in taking anymore of your unwarranted abuse.

Abuse is not unwarranted when such repugnant and ignorant statements such as "Frozen embryos are not "Human beings".". This statement is ontologically incorrect and spiritually grotesque.

What is an embryonic human?

82 posted on 07/28/2004 5:15:45 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 77 | View Replies]

It is also biologically incorrect from the simple POV of natural mechanics.

You object to my 'abuse' but I was simply extending your own rationale to its logical end. If the coveted title and protected status of 'human being' can be defined down from simply being alive with unique DNA to a specific stage of growth, development or ability to demonstrate a specific mental task then the qualifications can be continuously and infinitely redefined.

A sentient being is formed when the two parent sets of DNA combine and conciousness come together at conception. If the two parents were humans the being is invariably ... human. This has been recognized for thousands of years.

83 posted on 07/28/2004 5:35:17 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 82 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
Just like the vast majority do not consider the use of the pill abortion...But still, many Christians do consider it so.

Perhaps you would like to discuss your abusive use of straw man arguments? Abusive because you claim that 'many Christians do ...' without citing a source. A straw man because 'the pill' usually refers to birth control pills that prevent conception and I have never heard anyone call that abortion. The 'morning after' pill does kill an embryo however. It is also dangerous to the life and health of the woman who uses it. But all of that is completely off topic and that's why you threw it in. That is most disingenuous.

84 posted on 07/28/2004 5:45:55 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye

Israelites were slaves & owned slaves

"When Israel was in Egypt's land
let my people go...
Oppressed so hard they could not stand
Let my people go,
Go down, Moses, way down in Egypt's land
Tell ole Pharoh--to let my people go."

BTW, St. Peter said: "Servants, be submissive to your masters with all respect..."(NASB)

Slavery was accepted as a way of life in the Bible, not necessarily condoned.


85 posted on 07/28/2004 5:49:29 PM PDT by madison10
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 73 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye

Know any Catholics, genius??


86 posted on 07/28/2004 5:56:01 PM PDT by Mister Blond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 84 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
If fundamentalist Christians are right--that the Bible is the literal word of God, ...

Here you heap more misdirection onto the strawman you made. If? Either you believe they are right or you don't. At least have the courage to say that much. Irregardless of your callousness and cowardice it is irrelevant. What one sect of Bible believers thinks of the Bible has nothing to do with the ethics of slavery or abortion. I know of no Christians today who accept slavery as moral or ethical.

My original point stands unchallenged in truth; " 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." Your argument that "You may have a problem with using frozen embryos ... But, the vast majority do not have such a problem." is still so much mob rule pablum.

87 posted on 07/28/2004 5:58:31 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 80 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
Know any Catholics, genius??

Now you are the first to call names. That one may be appropriate to me however. ; )

What difference does it make whether I know any Catholics? Know any biologists, Einstein?

88 posted on 07/28/2004 6:00:58 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
The subject is embryonic humans. I think it's safe to say that your non-response to my assertion that Christians led the way to aboloshing slavery in Britain and America is a concession to the point.

If you have any enlightening information on the subject of the thread please share it.

89 posted on 07/28/2004 6:05:39 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
...They can be taken from newly formed embryos. And personally, I don't have a problem with that.

Human embryos. Human fetuses. Human babies. Human toddlers. Human children.
Human adolescents. Human adults. Human geriatrics.

Notice any sort of continuity there?

90 posted on 07/28/2004 6:17:12 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
Know any Catholics, genius??

Fact is I don't.

But I found this:

The Truth About the Catholic Church and Slavery
The problem wasn't that the leadership was silent. It was that almost nobody listened. By Rodney Stark

As early as the seventh century, Saint Bathilde (wife of King Clovis II) became famous for her campaign to stop slave-trading and free all slaves; in 851 Saint Anskar began his efforts to halt the Viking slave trade. That the Church willingly baptized slaves was claimed as proof that they had souls, and soon both kings and bishops—including William the Conqueror (1027-1087) and Saints Wulfstan (1009-1095) and Anselm (1033-1109)—forbade the enslavement of Christians.

Since, except for small settlements of Jews, and the Vikings in the north, everyone was at least nominally a Christian, that effectively abolished slavery in medieval Europe, except at the southern and eastern interfaces with Islam where both sides enslaved one another's prisoners. But even this was sometimes condemned: in the tenth century, bishops in Venice did public penance for past involvement in the Moorish slave trade and sought to prevent all Venetians from involvement in slavery. Then, in the thirteenth century, Saint Thomas Aquinas deduced that slavery was a sin, and a series of popes upheld his position, beginning in 1435 and culminating in three major pronouncements against slavery by Pope Paul III in 1537.

That should put to rest any argument that Catholics had papal backing for slavery. Looks like the official kabosh came shortly after Columbus hit the American shore. American slavery had no backing there.

91 posted on 07/28/2004 6:49:17 PM PDT by TigersEye (Intellectuals only exist if you think they do!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 86 | View Replies]

To: TigersEye
I guess I fall into some other pigeon hole

I don't know. But I misspoke, or miswrote. It wasn't PBS. It was an NBC interview with Katie Couric and this Harvard guy, with a spokesman for the Administration in a remote location.

92 posted on 07/28/2004 8:10:22 PM PDT by sevry
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 58 | View Replies]

To: sevry
Hmmm. I don't doubt that a federal program for anything is poorly audited and otherwise a mess. That is far more Congress' responsibility than any Presidents administration and I wouldn't give either party much credit for straightening bureaucracy out. We need less bureaucracy. Get government out of medicine entirely. I can't think of one Senator or Congressman I'd ask for advice on how to apply a band-aid.
93 posted on 07/28/2004 8:46:43 PM PDT by TigersEye (Your parents are Pro-Choice? You're lucky to be here!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 92 | View Replies]

To: Twinkie

As you said:
"The dream of the abortion industry is to be able to
tell women that they are "doing a good and honorable
thing, in fact an altruistic thing, by having an abortion".


I understand that a Planned Paerenthood Clinic in CA is seeling tee shirts that say: "I had an abortion".....as if that is something to be proud of....


94 posted on 07/28/2004 9:05:01 PM PDT by JulieRNR21 (One good term deserves another! Take W-04....Across America!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 51 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
...And no...They don't need to be taken from second trimester babies...

That's right, MB, they can be taken from adults, who don't have to be killed first.


Click the statistic pic.

95 posted on 07/29/2004 3:12:26 AM PDT by .30Carbine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 14 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond; TigersEye
MB: To each his own.

Aha! "chipman" is back!

96 posted on 07/29/2004 3:18:50 AM PDT by .30Carbine
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 25 | View Replies]

To: Mister Blond
You cannot even say when you began to exist?

Cordially,

97 posted on 07/29/2004 7:09:34 AM PDT by Diamond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 64 | View Replies]

To: .30Carbine

Wrong.

You need to be more sure of who people are before you run around grandstanding and trying to intimidate new posters.


98 posted on 07/30/2004 11:23:45 AM PDT by Mister Blond
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 96 | View Replies]

To: ridesthemiles
IMO, I think that Nancy Reagan is probably just really exhausted now, after her terrible ordeal. But I have seen what she has had to say and really believe that she is a woman on a mission. She loved Ronald Reagan with all her heart and soul. To have witnessed his decline must have been heart-wrenching. She is not up to the task just yet, and has left it to her son to take up her cause. He lost his beloved father. I thought he made a very good speech, without bringing politics into it at all. Do I think that the Democrats used him? Of course they did, but I think that the Reagans were just taking advantage of a national forum and understand the reason that they did. I lost my Dad to cancer, at too young an age, and also feel passionate about finding a cure.
99 posted on 08/02/2004 12:03:33 AM PDT by Barney1995
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 46 | View Replies]

To: victim soul

You're right about the astrology. I had forgotten that. But I have no doubt that both Nancy Reagan and young Ron are in a lot of pain and are totally sincere about searching for a cure for Alzheimer's. Of course one life should never be taken to save another. I don't completely understand the process, but, from what he said, they are dealing with tiny groups of cells, which would never become human beings, and not human embryos. They are desperate to find a cure, since they watched the terrible decline of a brilliant man and a loving husband and father. I feel for them, having lost my Dad to cancer, at a young age.


100 posted on 08/02/2004 12:16:11 AM PDT by Barney1995
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 44 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first previous 1-20 ... 41-6061-8081-100101-102 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson