Really interesting discussion about CNS injuries and stem cell therapy...

HM2VikingRN, RN · May 25, 2007

i agree; they should be allowed to do what they want with them, and they are allowed to do what they want with them. i've never heard that they weren't allowed to donate them for research.
i, however, should not be forced to pay for it.

day in the life of joe middle-class republican

by john gray - published by tvnewslies.org - july, 2004
article link: http://tvnewslies.org/html/day_in_the_life_of_joe_middle-.html

joe gets up at 6:00am to prepare his morning coffee. he fills his pot full of good clean drinking water because some liberal fought for minimum water quality standards.
he takes his daily medication with his first swallow of coffee. his medications are safe to take because some liberal fought to insure their safety and work as advertised. all but $10.00 of his medications are paid for by his employers medical plan because some liberal union workers fought the ir employers for paid medical insurance, now joe gets it too. he prepares his morning breakfast, bacon and eggs this day. joe's bacon is safe to eat because some liberal fought for laws to regulate the meat packing industry.

:wakeneo:

HM2VikingRN, RN · May 28, 2007

I agree; they should be allowed to do what they want with them, and they are allowed to do what they want with them. I've never heard that they weren't allowed to donate them for research.
I, however, should not be forced to pay for it.

... paying taxes that are owed in order to be a citizen serves as a reminder that paying taxes is one of the major obligations of citizenship. After all, if we didn't pay the taxes we owe, we wouldn't have public schools, police and fire protection, national defense, homeland security, roads and bridges, Medicare and Social Security, and other things we need.
...If it's more important to someone to avoid paying what they owe in taxes than to continue being an American, then let them keep their money. They can become a citizen of the Cayman Islands or Bermuda or wherever else they store their wealth, and come here on a visitor's visa -- if they can get one.

http://prospect.org/cs/articles?article=the_price_of_citizenship

DarrenWright · May 28, 2007

Your posts and biased graphics have absolutely nothing to do with my moral opposition to the taxpayer-funding of the exploitation of embryos.

I never said I was opposed to paying taxes, or opposed to safe bacon, safe water, or safe drugs.

It has nothing to do with Republicans or liberals. You don't even know my political persuasion.

A person who does not believe that embryos have to be exploited in the name of "progress" is not 'unpatriotic.'

I will not begrudge the use of my dollars for any kind of research that does not conflict with my very reasonable moral beliefs.

Your lecture on taxes was better saved for another topic, and your condescension is ugly.

HM2VikingRN, RN · May 28, 2007

The actual point of my post was that medical research is usually paid for by taxpayers. Priorities for research funding support are arrived at through political processes which does involve reallocation of resources through the tax process. We all have the option to disagree with priorities of government but we also have an obligation to work through the process to change those priorities. (The graphics are not biased other than to illustrate a difference in philosophies.)

DarrenWright · May 29, 2007

The actual point of my post was that medical research is usually paid for by taxpayers. Priorities for research funding support are arrived at through political processes which does involve reallocation of resources through the tax process. We all have the option to disagree with priorities of government but we also have an obligation to work through the process to change those priorities. (The graphics are not biased other than to illustrate a difference in philosophies.)

You are incorrect.

While billions of taxpayer dollars are spent to fund medical research, "most" of medical research is NOT paid for by the taxpayer via gov't handouts.

I'm not disagreeing with a 'gov't priority,' I'm disagreeing with attempts to use tax-dollars for morally objectional activities, which people like you conveniently re-interpret as these fictional bans on stem-cell research (which don't exist), and non-existent restrictions on the use of privately owned embryos.

Do what you want, let your conscience guide you. My conscience says that I should not silently consent to the use of my tax dollars for the destruction of embryos when more PROMISING progress has been made with cord blood and adult stem-cells.

HM2VikingRN, RN · Jun 1, 2007

why not derive stem cells from adults?
there are several approaches now in human clinical trials that utilize mature stem cells (such as blood-forming cells, neuron-forming cells and cartilage-forming cells). however, because adult cells are already specialized, their potential to regenerate damaged tissue is very limited: skin cells will only become skin and cartilage cells will only become cartilage. adults do not have stem cells in many vital organs, so when those tissues are damaged, scar tissue develops. only embryonic stem cells, which have the capacity to become any kind of human tissue, have the potential to repair vital organs.
another limitation of adult stem cells is their inability to proliferate in culture. unlike embryonic stem cells, which have a capacity to reproduce indefinitely in the laboratory, adult stem cells are difficult to grow in the lab and their potential to reproduce diminishes with age. therefore, obtaining clinically significant amounts of adult stem cells may prove to be difficult.
studies of adult stem cells are important and will provide valuable insights into the use of stem cell in transplantation procedures. however, only through exploration of all types of stem cell research will scientists find the most efficient and effective ways to treat diseases.
...
what are the benefits of studying embryonic stem cells?
pluripotent stem cells represent hope for millions of americans. they have the potential to treat or cure a myriad of diseases, including parkinson's, alzheimer's, diabetes, heart disease, stroke, spinal cord injuries and burns.
this extraordinary research is still in its infancy and practical application will only be possible with additional study. scientists need to understand what leads cells to specialization in order to direct cells to become particular types of tissue. for example, islet cells control insulin production in the pancreas, which is disrupted in people with diabetes. if an individual with diabetes is to be cured, the stem cells used for treatment must develop into new insulin-producing islet cells, not heart tissue or other cells. research is required to determine how to control the differentiation of stem cells so they will be therapeutically effective. research is also necessary to study the potential of immune rejection of the cells, and how to overcome that problem.

http://www.news.wisc.edu/packages/stemcells/facts.html#6