Stem cell research is a particularly important issue for me and my family since my brother-in-law died of ALS at the young age of 35. It’s a horrible disease which causes a wasting away of the body while the mind stays intact. Sen. John Danforth (R-Mo.), the influential senior statesman of Missouri politics and a leader in the fight for stem cell research also knows how important this research is. Danforth’s brother, Donald, died of ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, in 2001.
“When you see somebody you love suffer and die from one of these diseases, and medical researchers say this could be the key to finding the cure, then you want the researchers to go forward so other people won’t go through the same experience,” Danforth said.
LINK: Election battle on stem cells heats up in Missouri
It makes me so angry that people are actually PRAYING for this research to be prevented. How can these people say they are for the sanctity of human life, when they are willing to throw away TWO lives when the one that would only be thrown away could help the already living?
YOUTUBE: What if you had to think about every little thing you did?
15 comments:
A few points.
One, Limbaugh has been pretty skinny for quite a while.
Secondly, I heard Limbaugh's argument during my lunch break. He's arguing that the bill in Missouri prohibits cloning and not stem-cell research. Moreover, he argued that Michael J. Fox did not take his meds, as he admits he does not when he goes to Congressional hearings, for dramatic effect. There are a lot of people who slurp up emotobabble, given the American education system does not teach people how to square theories with evidence.
Now, someone like Michael Steele who has compared stem-cell research to the National Socialist German Workers Party's extermination of European Jewry deserves every bit of criticism he receives. Senator Talent in Missouri, however, put forth an anti-cloning bill which prohibits the cloning of stem-cells for stem-cell research. Missouri was where Michael J. Fox's ad was run. Now, one may disagree with Talent's position, as I do (embryos are not people, period!), but to criticize him in the emotional manner as Michael J. Fox and other people in Hollyweird have done is completely dishonest. That's what Limbaugh is arguing, and now Limbaugh is being attacked not with evidence, but for not caring, being meanspirited, and the usual fluff people substitute for reasoning these days.
Jason - How dare you pollute my blog with a picture of the bastard! ;)
If his body is somewhat skinny now, his brain is still filled with fat. Limbaugh's tactics to make his points are at times despicable. You talk about "Hollyweirds"...well Limbaugh is a radio CELEBRITY and a man of low character and has a history not much different than all the recovering drug abusers in the "Hollyweird" scene. I can't believe intelligent people actually listen to his program or give him the time of day. It's as bad as listening to Howard Stern.
It was a low blow to accuse Michael J Fox of faking it. Emotional appeal is often used in arguments concerning terminal illnesses, especially when the disease itself causes such grief and hardship for the patients and the families/caretakers.
Take a look at the article I linked to.
"Opponents led by the Roman Catholic Church and anti-abortion groups are fighting the Missouri measure from the pulpit and on the airwaves. They say it immorally encourages human cloning as well as the unnecessary destruction of life.
The arguments echo the position of President Bush, who has limited federal funding for research on embryonic stem cells and issued his first-ever veto against legislation to expand it.
Missouri Catholic churches have been using Sunday mass to show a film against the research, and have organized a “Rosary Crusade,” with more than 90,000 mailings urging prayers for the initiative’s defeat."
He's arguing that the bill in Missouri prohibits cloning and not stem-cell research.
He is wrong...As the Nov. 7 elections near, Missouri's Senate race is intertwining with a ballot measure that would engrave the right to conduct embryonic stem cell research into the state constitution. McCaskill supports it; Talent opposes it.
Lard Brain's lame apology:
Later in the broadcast, Limbaugh stated that "I will bigly, hugely admit that I was wrong, and I will apologize to Michael J. Fox if I am wrong in characterizing his behavior on this commercial as an act, especially since people are telling me they have seen him this way on other interviews and in other television appearances."
As one commenter said about the accusations about MJ Fox etc using emotional pleas...
"When Bush used those “snowflake children” to get an emotional response and to get people to equate stem cells with actual living children, there was not a single motherfucking PEEP from anybody."
We have Limbaugh-type cretins in Australia too. They wind the public up with outlandish statements and further increase their ratings.
Fortunately there is always the off-button!
For clarification, I found exactly what this Amendment #2 is . . .
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENT #2
Proposed by Initiative Petition
Plain Language Explanation:
This amendment will allow Missouri patients and researchers access to any method of stem cell research, therapies and cures permitted under federal law. It also will set limits on any stem cell research, therapies and cures, including banning human cloning or attempted cloning. Violators will be subject to criminal and civil penalites.
Official Ballot Title:
Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to allow and set limitations on stem cell research, therapies, and cures which will:
· ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law;
· ban human cloning or attempted cloning;
· require expert medical and public oversight and annual reports on the nature and purpose of stem cell research;
· impose criminal and civil penalties for any violations; and
· prohibit state or local governments from preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures?
The proposed constitutional amendment would have an estimated annual fiscal impact on state and local governments of $0-$68,916.
Fair Ballot Language excerpt:
A "yes" vote will amend the Missouri Constitution to allow and set limitations on stem cell research, therapies, and cures which will:
· ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law;
· ban human cloning or attempted cloning;
· require expert medical and public oversight and annual reports on the nature and purpose of any stem cell research;
· impose criminal and civil penalties for any violations; and
· prohibit state or local governments from preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures.
A "no" vote would not ensure that stem cell research permitted under federal law is allowed to be conducted in Missouri and that Missouri patients have access to stem cell therapies and cures permitted under federal law.
This measure will have no impact on taxes.
Ummm. Just saw video footage of "skinny" Rush and I would not exactly say he is "pretty skinny"...don't know when that image was taken...here's the video of chubbyLimburgers shaking his manboobs while bashing MJ Fox.
Rush absolutely does not know Parkinson's disease. If you look at the video links I provided, this disease affects certain body parts while others are left unaffected...similar to ALS. My brother-in-law could focus his eyes and move his head, but the rest of his body was limp. I cannot stand Rush...he is a huge asshole.
he argued that Michael J. Fox did not take his meds, as he admits he does not when he goes to Congressional hearings, for dramatic effect.
Latest Update
Fox: I wasn't off meds in political ads
NEW YORK - In a response to charges by conservative talk-show host Rush Limbaugh, Michael J. Fox defended his appearance in recent political campaign ads, saying he was neither acting nor off his medication for Parkinson's disease.
On the contrary, he had been overmedicated, the actor said during an interview aired on Thursday's "CBS Evening News with Katie Couric."
"The irony of it is that I was too medicated," Fox told Couric, adding that his jumpy condition as he spoke to her reflected "a dearth of medication — not by design. I just take it, and it kicks in when it kicks in."
"That's funny — the notion that you could calculate it for effect," he said. "Would that we could."
The 7 1/2-minute interview with Fox, whose shaking at one point dislodged the microphone clipped to his jacket lapel, aired in two segments taped Thursday afternoon on the "Evening News" set.
When I saw the ad on Olbermann's Countdown, I cried like a little girl. It just hit me real hard that some people care more about ratings or staying in power than helping others. That, and some people actually believe that small groups of cells that are smaller than an eraser tip happen to have all the rights of human beings...
There's an ad in Maryland similar to this one. A Republican with Parkinson’s is backing a Democrat for state Senate. He's been doing a good deal for stem cell research. The Republican sways back and forth, and I cried during that ad too. I get a little emotional when it comes to the Republican party preventing help to people with diseases and enabling the degradation of science.
It's like Back to the Future all over again, with Michael J. Fox reprising Marty McFly, and Rush Limbaugh as Biff.
drunken--
"I get a little emotional when it comes to the Republican party preventing help to people with diseases and enabling the degradation of science."
The first five words are correct. I support embryonic stem cell research, but it is mean to promise terminally ill people a cure anytime soon on the horizon, which is what your side does. The left is more about caring than results, so I'm confident you'll pat yourselves on the back for your good intentions in any event.
tommy--
You have the classic liberal attitude. Gloom and Doom, I'm a victim, we need to show solidarity with other victims (criminals, the indolent, the improvident, jihadists) against the big bad bullies.
Of course, foul mouthed bigots in Hollyweird receive praise when they do what you claim to oppose. George Clooney can make fun of people with Alzheimer's like Charlton Heston. Cameron Diaz can say the reelection of Bush will lead to the legalization of rape. Sean Penn can say the administration is a bigger threat to America than Osama bin Laden. Whoopi Goldberg can describe the President in terms of the female anatomy. If you guys want to claim what Rush does is "bullying," then the SAME STANDARD should apply to liberals, no matter how much they care about socialism, ahem, the "common good."
The first five words are correct. I support embryonic stem cell research, but it is mean to promise terminally ill people a cure anytime soon on the horizon
Jason - Though your comment is directed at Drunken Tune, I must point out that most terminally ill people understand that a cure will not magically be found in their lifetime, however it is a great thing that they still care about research that may lead to a cure for those suffering from the same illness in the future. Cancer research has proven how long that road to finding a cure can be. And cures have been found for certain kinds of cancers that there weren't available even 10-20 years ago. You don't scrap research efforts into the trashbin because it isn't producing immediate magic cures.
You have the classic liberal attitude. Gloom and Doom, I'm a victim, we need to show solidarity with other victims (criminals, the indolent, the improvident, jihadists) against the big bad bullies.
Jason - Wow...you really blew tommy's comment out of proportion! tommy was using an analogy about an asshole bully making fun of the handicapped kid and you turn it into something outlandishly political. If anyone has a gloom and doom attitude, it is the ones who are feeding on fear that "the jihadists are going to come and get me". THAT is a victim mentality if you ask me.
How does bringing up examples of other people making snide comments about other people justify Rush Limbaugh being an ignoramous? I can't believe anyone actually listens to that Radioweirdo asshat. His profession is just a radio version of the "Hollywood sleaze sector" you despise.
Jason, I try to make a humorous remark about the situation, and from that little ditty you come to the conclusion that I have a "classic liberal attitude" and you conjure up this belief system or ideology for me that I do not have. You don't know me so don't try to pretend you know what I think about anything you pompous ass.
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