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Oprah’s website buries Dr. Oz's ‘stem cell debate is dead’ statement
CNA ^ | April 8, 2009

Posted on 04/08/2009 1:48:23 PM PDT by NYer

Chicago, Ill., Apr 8, 2009 / 01:08 pm (CNA).- Yesterday, Dr. Mehment Oz appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show to voice his support for adult stem cell research and to argue that “the stem cell debate is dead,” but instead of giving his statement a fair hearing, Oprah’s website buried and edited Oz’s comments.

Actor Michael J. Fox, who suffers from Parkinson’s disease, was invited on the show to  talk about his struggle with Parkinson’s and his foundation’s endorsement of embryonic stem cell research (ESCR).

Fox told Oprah that he believes President Obama’s decision lifting President Bush's restrictions on ESCR was a “step in the right direction” and that “we had eight years where there was no forward progress.” The United States has to make up for a lot of lost time, Fox added.

He also empathized with ethical concerns over ESCR, but said, “I just have faith in our scientists and the research community that they’ll do this ethically and to good purpose.”

After a commercial break, Oprah introduced Dr. Oz, who is the vice-chair and professor of surgery at Columbia University, to explain how stem cells could be used to treat or cure the effects of many diseases.

To demonstrate how stem cells could be used, Oz brought out a human brain. Both Oprah and Fox laughed and joked with Oz as he discussed how stem cells would work in the brain. But Dr. Oz became more serious as he spoke about the future of embryonic stem cell research.

“Now, I’m going to say something that’s going to be a bit provocative. I think, Oprah, the stem cell debate is dead, and I’ll tell you why,” said Oz.

“The problem with embryonic stem cells is that embryonic stem cells come from embryos, like all of us were made from embryos. And those cells can become any cell in the body. But it’s very hard to control them, and so they can become cancer.”

Oprah and Fox then became visibly uncomfortable, shifting around in their chairs, as Oz explained that, contrary to Fox’s earlier testimony, incredible medical advances are being made using adult stem cells and not embryonic stem cells. He claimed that, “in the last year, we’ve made a 10 year advancement.”

Oprah responded in disbelief by saying, “In the last year we’ve advanced 10 years?” Oz explained, “we went places we never thought we would go.”

He then boldly stated that within “single digit years” the medical community could find cures for people with “Parkinson’s disease, but also diabetics and heart attack victims” by using adult stem cells.

Oprah’s website summarized Oz’s argument for adult stem cells with two short paragraphs, hidden 11 pages deep in a 13 page summary of the show:

“Thanks to recent scientific discoveries, Dr. Oz says stem cells aren’t the only solution. ‘We went to a place we never thought we would go. I can take a little bit of your skin, take those cells and get them to go back in time so they’re like they were when you were first made.’”

“Dr. Oz says these skin cells, which contain your genes and are less prone to cancer, will be the ones that are ultimately used to cure Parkinson’s. ‘I think we’re single digit years away from making a big impact in the lives of [people with] Parkinson’s disease, but also diabetics and heart attack victims,’” the website summarized.

Oprah.com not only avoided quoting Oz as saying “the stem cell debate is dead,” but carefully avoided the words “stem cell” and “embryonic’ when quoting or summarizing his remarks.

Oz did in fact say stem cells were the solution, but instead of backing ESCR, he advocated adult stem cells as the future of medical breakthroughs.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; Culture/Society; Government; Philosophy
KEYWORDS: embryonicstemcells; mehmentoz; obama; oprah; prolife; stemcells
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1 posted on 04/08/2009 1:48:23 PM PDT by NYer
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To: Salvation; narses; SMEDLEYBUTLER; redhead; Notwithstanding; nickcarraway; Romulus; ...
“Though it is true that sometimes it is lawful to tolerate a lesser moral evil in order to avoid a greater evil or in order to promote a greater good," it is never lawful, even for the gravest reasons, to do evil that good may come of it (18)—in other words, to intend directly something which of its very nature contradicts the moral order, and which must therefore be judged unworthy of man, even though the intention is to protect or promote the welfare of an individual, of a family or of society in general.”
HUMANAE VITAE

,

Catholic Ping
Please freepmail me if you want on/off this list


2 posted on 04/08/2009 1:49:39 PM PDT by NYer ("Run from places of sin as from a plague." - St. John Climacus)
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To: NYer

Has a clip of this been posted on YouTube yet? It should go viral so that EVERYONE can hear the words straight from the doctor’s mouth!!

SHAME on Oprah and MJF for promoting ESCR KNOWING it’s auseless waste of time and $$$$$$$$!!
>:-(


3 posted on 04/08/2009 1:50:40 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --"God help us all, and God help America!!" --my new mantra for the next 4 years)
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To: NYer

Embryonic Stem Cell research has nothing to do with cures,
and everything to do with keeping abortion from being immoral.


4 posted on 04/08/2009 1:51:33 PM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, Bowman later)
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To: pillut48
SHAME on Oprah and MJF for promoting ESCR KNOWING it’s auseless waste of time and $$$$$$$$!!

Make you wonder if there isn't another agenda altogether.

5 posted on 04/08/2009 1:51:53 PM PDT by Bahbah (Typical white person-Snow white)
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To: NYer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LLgbeJg8_r4


6 posted on 04/08/2009 1:53:11 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --"God help us all, and God help America!!" --my new mantra for the next 4 years)
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To: NYer

Oprah no matter how rich she is is a very stupid woman.


7 posted on 04/08/2009 1:53:15 PM PDT by freekitty (Give me back my conservative vote.)
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To: NYer
But to the Left, the Political debate is FAR more important than actually saving lives. I have read that embryonic stem cells only create tumors. Some malignant and some benign. The Left is shameless when promoting their anti-life agenda.
8 posted on 04/08/2009 1:53:52 PM PDT by originalbuckeye
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To: NYer
As angry as Fox's statements make me, I pray that he does not end up with tumors throughout his body as a result of embryonic stem cell therapy.

But I would like to slap the crap out of him. ;)

9 posted on 04/08/2009 1:53:55 PM PDT by MEGoody (Ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.)
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To: NYer

It’s been left out of the transcript, but is still in the video:
http://www.oprah.com/media/20090319-tows-dr-oz-brain


10 posted on 04/08/2009 1:54:24 PM PDT by wagglebee ("A political party cannot be all things to all people." -- Ronald Reagan, 3/1/75)
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To: NYer

well, looks like it’s the end of Dr. Oz on Oprha


11 posted on 04/08/2009 1:55:01 PM PDT by GreatDaggar
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To: pillut48

Here ya go:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lDFJOzu9SyM


12 posted on 04/08/2009 1:55:36 PM PDT by Ballygrl
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To: NYer

I have to say that I am pretty impressed by Dr. Oz’s courage. To say something like this is pretty unPC these days. I still think he is a flake, and allows too much “woo” into his shtick, but I commend him for the courage to make such a statement.


13 posted on 04/08/2009 1:57:29 PM PDT by Paradox (When the left have no one to villainize, they'll turn on each other.)
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To: Ballygrl

This is AWESOME news—less than 10 years away from a cure for Parkinson’s and possibly other diseases, without destroying embryos?!?

Why hasn’t this been plastered all over the MSM!?!? Sheesh!
>:-(


14 posted on 04/08/2009 2:01:37 PM PDT by pillut48 (CJ in TX --"God help us all, and God help America!!" --my new mantra for the next 4 years)
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To: originalbuckeye

“The Left is shameless when promoting their anti-life agenda”

Thats for sure....they sure don’t care about the truth. They will never admit they were wrong about Embryonic Stem cells being the answer even if people die waiting for it to be true. And as much as I have always like MJF as a man, actor, husband & father, he will probably shun adult stem cell research that could cure him just to prove a point.


15 posted on 04/08/2009 2:03:15 PM PDT by happilymarriedmom
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To: MrB
Embryonic Stem Cell research has nothing to do with cures, and everything to do with keeping abortion from being immoral,

Bingo!

16 posted on 04/08/2009 2:06:31 PM PDT by Northern Yankee (Freedom Needs A Soldier)
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To: NYer

Truth is anathema to liberals/progressives/socialists/Marxists/feminists/new-agers.


17 posted on 04/08/2009 2:07:15 PM PDT by polymuser ("We have a right to debate and disagree with any administration!" (HRC))
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To: polymuser

Well, yes, because if they acknowledge that truth exists,

it can easily, logically, be proven that they don’t have it in their belief systems.

Better to believe that there is no absolute truth, and that two contradictory things can be true at the same time. Actually had a lefty say that to me, because she knew I’d be able to logically disassemble her entire belief system otherwise.


18 posted on 04/08/2009 2:10:35 PM PDT by MrB (Go Galt now, Bowman later)
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To: freekitty
Oprah no matter how rich she is is a very stupid woman.

Just proves, money doesn't buy brains or morality. It just buys power

19 posted on 04/08/2009 2:32:55 PM PDT by CitizenM ("An excuse is worse than an lie, because an excuse is a lie hidden." Pope John Paul, II)
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To: freekitty
re: Oprah no matter how rich she is is a very stupid woman.

No, it is not that Oprah is stupid. She has an agenda to support, and she is not interested in truth if it doesn't support her agenda. Her President and her party are solidly pro-abortion. She is too. Burying the truth is not an act of stupidity on her part. It is a matter of expediency.

20 posted on 04/08/2009 2:33:31 PM PDT by Nevadan
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