I'm so sick of this fake piety by Bill Frist, the guy who used to kidnap cats in his neighborhood and practice surgery on them while the were still alive. He's clearly a sick man.
Now because he wants to be Prez, he's prostrating himself before the religious right with this mealy mouthed opposition to stem cell research. I say, we'll save many more "lives" by cutting off all in-vitro fertility procedures because in basically the same process, they result in gazillions of fertilized embryos that GET DISCARDED instead of harvesting potentially lifesaving stem cells from them. But no one wants to mess with the fertility options for all these parents-to-be (many religious, rich Republicans) including a number of rabidly pro-lifers I personally know who were okay about discarding what, in front of Planned Parenthood they'd be calling "sacred life" thereby bending their own moral principles into a temporary pretzel so they can have their bay-beeeeee, but not 5 of them at once.
Plus, fun fact! The MMR vaccine (the rubella portion, at least) is a "live" virus that comes from (I'm quoting from my physician father's copy of the Physician's Desk Reference, here) "live attenuated rubella virus propagated in WI-38 human diploid lung fibroblasts." Where did they get these living cells? From a 3-month-gestation fetus,. Rubella, Hep A, chickenpox, and rabies (eeek!) are all made from human diploid cells, which have to come from intentional abortions, not miscarriages, because miscarriages may stem from infections, have chromosomal damage, etc. Every so often the Catholic church makes feeble noises about aborted human tissue in vaccines, but it's probably easier and more fun to go after Planned Parenthood.
Stem cells have SO much potential for helping Alzheimer's, Parkinsons, diabetes, spinal cord injury... How skillful the propagandists are, making it sound like taking cells from a 4-day old fertilized egg/blastocyst is unholy murder, but creating a bunch of embryos for IVF specifically to make babies but discarding the "leftovers" is completely benign and morally A-OK.
Let's call them on it--Sign the Petition! http://www.thepetitionsite.com/takeaction/655813624?z00m=90692
You can also add comments. Here's my angry screed:
If Frist is so against stem cells, why isn't he against using ABORTED FETAL TISSUE for vaccines, particularly the MMR? They can only use tissues from ABORTIONS, not miscarriages, because those would be infected, DNA problems, etc. He is a physician and can read all about this in the PDR! http://www.whale.to/v/fetal.html
5 comments:
I didn't know about the use of fetal tissue in vaccines. Very surprising and interesting. I would agree that this is one of those issues that people like Frist have not yet totally worked through--probably because plumbing the ironies too much would only lead them away from their sound-bite politics.
Christina, sorry to hear about all the autoimmune problems. Have you tried the Shirataki noodles?
http://greenfertility.blogspot.com/2006/06/no-gluten-no-carb-konjacshiratakitofu.html
They are most helpful for Type II, but I think anything that helps stave off insulin resistance certainly can't hurt. Best to you!
Thanks, anonymous. Oh yeah, Frist is not too into nuance--remember how EARNEST and sanctimonious Dr. Kitty Mengele was during the Terry Schiavo case???? Diagnosis via video? I guess you could argue we need to keep him in public office TO KEEP HIM AWAY FROM PATIENTS. That's an eeeeeek, definitely.
There's nothing illogical about true religion. You are absolutely right, Marie. It is just as wrong to use fetal tissue in vaccines, and to discard embryoes, as it is wrong to get an abortion or murder a child. I think you might be onto something about people wanting to use IVF and turning a blind eye to the ethics of it all. Same as those pro-lifers who don't want to consider the ethics of receiving the "donation" of a vital organ, such as the heart. It's mushy thinking.
Thanks, pro-life!
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