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Jill Stanek: Fetus farming shot to hell – where it belongs
WorldNetDaily ^ | 7/26/06 | Jill Stanek

Posted on 07/26/2006 3:55:47 PM PDT by wagglebee

Last week, the same day President Bush vetoed a bill that would have forced taxpayers to further subsidize embryonic stem-cell experimentation, he signed the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006.

The former got lots of negative press; the latter caused barely a stir. The latter bode poorly for embryonic stem-cell research's public image. Better to ignore.

At any rate, a ban on fetus farming wasn't controversial, passing unanimously in both the Senate and House. Fetus farming seems far-fetched.

But ratifying FFPA scythed a huge swath through plans of embryonic stem-cell harvesters – laudable quick work by pro-life academics and politicos before the other side's powerful lobby could sway self-interested politicians and Americans.

Researchers have promoted embryonic stem cells as magical, saying they can be coaxed to develop into any type of cell.

But the thesis hasn't stood. ESCs isolated from very young embryos grow wildly into cancerous tumors. That which was extolled, their pliability, makes ESCs difficult, perhaps impossible, to control.

Furthermore, because ESCs come from unique human beings, whatever they might be coaxed to grow into stands as much chance of matching a recipient as, say, bone marrow, another type of stem cell. The likelihood of bone marrow matches between donor and recipient is 1:4 for siblings and 1:20,000 for unrelated people.

Imagine the logistics of growing and storing a minimum of 20,000 livers in a national liver bank. That's just livers. The list of body organs and tissue needed to cure ailments is countless.

Despite those obstacles, ESC proponents inexplicitly reject shifting their focus to adult and umbilical cord research, both of which are morally acceptable and making huge gains. Adult and umbilical stem cells, of course, provide exact matches if the donor is the recipient. There would be no organ or tissue rejections.

No, ESC researchers are determined to walk further down the sinister path, which is why they fight cloning bans. Cloned body parts would also provide exact matches.

What else would increase their odds of success?

Older embryos and fetuses.

("Embryo" is the scientific name for preborns up to 8 weeks old, "fetus" for preborns older than 8 weeks.)

At eight weeks gestation, basic structures for all body systems are established. All remaining time in the uterus is spent growing and refining tissues and organs.

Bioethicist Robert George of Princeton concluded in the Weekly Standard last October that ESC researchers were beginning to look toward older preborn humans.

George explained:

[R]ecent studies show that the problem of tumor formation does not exist in cells taken from cows, mice and other mammals when embryos have been implanted and extracted after several weeks or months of development (i.e., have been gestated to the late embryonic or fetal stage). This means that the real therapeutic potential lies precisely in the practice of fetus farming. Because the developmental process stabilizes cells (which is why we are not all masses of tumors), it is likely true that stem cells, tissues and organs harvested from human beings at, say, 16 or 18 weeks or later could be used in the treatment of diseases.

The other side had already begun the shift.

Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich's 2005 embryonic stem-cell research executive order not only authorized taxpayer funded human cloning research but also "payment" for "transplantation or implantation of [embryonic] tissue," with no age restriction. It also included "payment" for "cadaveric fetal tissue," or dead fetuses.

In other words, researchers who wrote that executive order were planning to harvest a new crop in Illinois, fetuses, in uterine farms.

George noted his home state of New Jersey had also passed legislation to harvest "cadaveric fetal tissue."

"What the bill envisages and promotes, in other words," wrote George, "is fetus farming."

With the passage of the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act of 2006, one important method to grow crops of fetuses for research has been shot to hell, where it belongs.

But there are still loopholes. Researchers can still grow them in artificial environments.

They can also still use aborted baby parts, the biggest reason why the abortion industry supports ESCR.

One of my sons rented a small home on the corner of a hog farm last year, so I've learned a little about the industry. He told me that sometimes due to rigorous jostling in close quarters, a pig will burst open. In that event, the other pigs will quickly descend upon the eviscerated animal and eat it.

There's an analogy in there somewhere.



TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Editorial; Government; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: bush; bushveto; embryonicstemcells; embryos; fetusfarming; prolife; stemcells
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Researchers have promoted embryonic stem cells as magical, saying they can be coaxed to develop into any type of cell.

But the thesis hasn't stood. ESCs isolated from very young embryos grow wildly into cancerous tumors. That which was extolled, their pliability, makes ESCs difficult, perhaps impossible, to control.

Yet another fact that goes unreported by the media.

1 posted on 07/26/2006 3:55:48 PM PDT by wagglebee
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To: cgk; Coleus; cpforlife.org; Mr. Silverback

Pro-Life Ping


2 posted on 07/26/2006 3:56:29 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: 8mmMauser

Pro-Life Ping


3 posted on 07/26/2006 3:57:19 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: wagglebee
"That which was extolled, their pliability, makes ESCs difficult, perhaps impossible, to control."

And you know how liberals have to control everything.
4 posted on 07/26/2006 4:07:29 PM PDT by jdm (Can I get me a huntin' license here?)
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To: jdm

So, South Park once again was prescient. How do they do it?


5 posted on 07/26/2006 4:21:01 PM PDT by steve8714 (Michael Fox would suck your baby dry to cure Parkinson's)
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To: wagglebee

The only reason ESCs are being pushed as the panacea for cures for everything rather than Adult stem cell therapy, which actually has succeeded in 70 treatments and cures in humans, is because of big money. Biotech firms want the big bucks for patents on all these so calling coming cures. They cannot get patents on using adult cells from the recipient's own body. This whole thing is about money, not curing people.The ESC people cannot get enough private money, so they have to con the government into providing tax money to keep them going. And they are doing just that by fooling the public into thinking that ESCs are miracles and can cure anything and the people against such cures are all religious extremists. Sad thing is that the public is buying it.


6 posted on 07/26/2006 4:45:17 PM PDT by conservative blonde (Conservative Blonde)
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To: conservative blonde

The left knows that if they can get the majority of the public behind ESC research, it will give them another layer of protection for abortion.


7 posted on 07/26/2006 4:47:08 PM PDT by wagglebee ("We are ready for the greatest achievements in the history of freedom." -- President Bush, 1/20/05)
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To: 2ndMostConservativeBrdMember; afraidfortherepublic; Alas; al_c; american colleen; annalex; ...
click
 

8 posted on 07/26/2006 5:33:49 PM PDT by Coleus (Roe v. Wade and Endangered Species Act both passed in 1973, Murder Babies/save trees, birds, algae)
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To: conservative blonde

Sad thing is that the public is buying it.



The public is buying it because the media portrays it as a miracle cure with no objective info given , also as stated by another the "journalists" know that this will help the pro aborts with another line of defense... It seems quite certain that adult stem cells are the answer ,, your body produces them throughout your life and any cells harvested from you will match you perfectly ,,, we will eventually have farms where livers and other organs are grown just as we will have customized meds.


9 posted on 07/26/2006 5:51:00 PM PDT by Neidermeyer
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To: wagglebee

I think it is a mistake to use this argument against ESCs. It is true, but may not be true for long. There is some ESC research going on, and it is entirely possible that there will be positive outcomes from some of it.

ESC is destroying human life, and even if research finds a potential use for them, it is still wrong. Taking an innocent life is never justified, no matter what the reason. Saying it has not resulted in any beneficial treatments seems to indicate that if it had then ESC is ok.


10 posted on 07/26/2006 6:10:40 PM PDT by ga medic
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To: Coleus

The only thing that stood between that stem cell bill and our becoming the United Frankenstein Genocide States of America was the presidential veto. Something for all pro-life voters to think about and ponder well.


11 posted on 07/26/2006 8:00:27 PM PDT by HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity
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To: ga medic
"Saying it has not resulted in any beneficial treatments seems to indicate that if it had then ESC is ok."

I think you're missing the point. Most religions have prohibitions against suicide, but at the same time lionize those who die in attempts to save the lives of others, even if they are not successful. "greater love hath no man..."

Likewise, most religions have prohibitions against taking the lives of others, but also exempt those who do so in defending children, women, or the religion itself.

What they are saying is that creating babies for the purpose of killing them to harvest the embryonic stem cells is not only wrong, but also a waste of lives that should be protected, and that the justification for taking those lives is a lie, and therefore not in any way justifiable.
12 posted on 07/26/2006 8:00:50 PM PDT by Old Student (WRM, MSgt, USAF(Ret.))
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To: Old Student

I still think that the important thing to emphasize is that it is wrong to take an innocent life. It doesn't matter if it might save someone else. That decision is not ours to make. Each snowflake baby represents one of those embryos. How is their life any less important than the life of someone else?

I don't think it matters whether there is a benefit or not. Wrong is wrong.
What happens if someone finds that ESCs are a beneficial treatment for cancer? Does that change anything?


13 posted on 07/26/2006 8:37:11 PM PDT by ga medic
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To: Old Student

I also think this most recent ESC legislation that President Bush vetoed was preventing the use of already existing embryos that were frozen in the in vitro process. The parents who did not expect to use the embryos were going to give them for the research.

To my knowledge "fetal farming" does not exist, nor is there any plan to have such an operation. I think they were just planning ahead for that possibility.


14 posted on 07/26/2006 9:18:31 PM PDT by ga medic
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To: MHGinTN; Coleus; nickcarraway; narses; Mr. Silverback; Canticle_of_Deborah; ...
Pro-Life PING

Please FreepMail me if you want on or off my Pro-Life Ping List.


15 posted on 07/26/2006 10:57:23 PM PDT by cpforlife.org (A Catholic Respect Life Curriculum is available at KnightsForLife.org)
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To: ga medic
Actually, in a not too long ago presentation by researchers from the research group in Worster, MASS, the presenter didn't even try to hide the fact that they are planning for moving from embryo cloning and harvesting to cloning and raising fetuses to a better age for tissue differentiation for harvesting. Harvard research is already implanting living embryos into extr corporeal uterine tissue and rasing them for a few days then destroying them. The Japanese are already keeping goat fetuses alive in artificial wombs for seventeen weeks, so other mammals are next in the experiements. I think I included that in the online book linked HERE if you would like to dig it out of the approximately 100 pages of text.
16 posted on 07/26/2006 11:05:24 PM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: wagglebee
Pinged from Terri JULY Dailies

8mm

17 posted on 07/27/2006 3:49:47 AM PDT by 8mmMauser (Jezu ufam Tobie...Jesus I trust in Thee)
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To: MHGinTN

I downloaded your book and will read it in a few days. It looks really good.


18 posted on 07/28/2006 1:20:38 AM PDT by TenthAmendmentChampion (Pray for our President and for our heroes in Iraq and Afghanistan, and around the world!)
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To: TenthAmendmentChampion

Because pastors and priests need to understand the difference in stem cell classifications (adult v embryonic), please feel free to share it with your clergy. And don't hesitate to freepmail if there are questions I may be able to help you with. But please, don't call my home phone as one physician in Kansas and one in another state did!... I don't stay at Holiday Inn Express lodging.


19 posted on 07/28/2006 8:18:58 AM PDT by MHGinTN (If you can read this, you've had life support from someone. Promote life support for others.)
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To: ga medic
RE: There is some ESC research going on, and it is entirely possible that there will be positive outcomes from it.

Highly improbable, due to the fact that ESC's invariably form tumors, are genetically unstable, and never match the donors. EVEN if they ever get cloning to work, which is increasingly improbable, the problems with ESC put them at least 6 decades behind adult stem cells. (The first successful adult stem cell treatment was in 1968, whereas the optimistic estimate is that, if they got cloning to work TODAY, they would need 20 years to develop a therapy). THEN there is the problem of how do you get women to give up their eggs at high risk of illness (19%) death (estimated 1%), loss of fertility (several percent), organ failure (2%) and cancer (rate unknown at this time, since it takes average 20 years to develop, but risk exists)? The only answer is to coerce and virtually enslave millions of women, at the risk of causing an underpopulation crisis. THEN there is the problem that it is prohibitively expensive. Oh, but there's more. Since we now know cloned ESC's from mice were REJECTED by the donors as foreign tissue (Rideout et al, Cell 2002), there's a good likelihood that going to all that trouble is still pointless. Now there's ONE MORE problem. Suppose they told you they had solved all these problems in animal studies and now they want YOU to try out this gazillion-dollar therapy. However, if the tests were wrong, you will develop excruciatingly painful tumors that will spread throughout your body causing you to die a Twilight Zone death. Gonna go for it?

Why not use therapy that is working, inexpensive, and morally acceptable? Unless, perhaps, the real goal is to undermine human rights and underpopulate the planet.
20 posted on 07/31/2006 2:25:13 PM PDT by Missouri gal
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