DNA Diaries

Passed on to me by a friend and reader here. Thanks Marianne this is important news.

Voting has become more important than ever and knowing what your voting for is crucial.

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Unrestricted Science Points to Human-Animal Hybrids
British scientists at Newcastle University have resorted to creating cloned hybrid embryos which are part human and part cow. Cow eggs were used for these cloning experiments because researchers have had difficultly obtaining a large enough quantity of human eggs. MiCAUSE Spokesperson David Doyle said the loopholes in the proposal would outlaw any attempt by the Michigan legislature to ban creation of human-animal hybrids for stem cell research. Human-animal hybrids experimentation, which is going on now in the United Kingdom, serves as an example of unrestricted, unethical science.
Here Comes the Clones . . .
In July, the Detroit Free Press reported that Stem Cell Ballot Question Committee Campaign Director Mark Burton said backers decided "we couldn't politically escape the label of cloning." Cloning is an issue most voters put in the weird science category for good reason. Dolly the cloned sheep was euthanized young because of complications attributed to the cloning process. Dolly deserved better and public opinion polls show people are uneasy with human cloning. The proposal has a "do nothing" clause that neither changes nor protects the current ban on cloning. According to the Detroit Free Press article, Burton suggested the ban on cloning could be revisited once the general public becomes more familiar with the science.
The Proposal is Deliberately Deceptive
The language of the proposal is deliberately deceptive. For the last two years, Representative Andrew Meisner and Senator Gretchen Whitmer have been working in the state legislature to legalize human cloning and allow for unrestricted experimentation on live human embryos. Their legislative efforts have to date failed. In January, the Stem Cell Research Ballot Question Committee announced petition language for the proposed constitutional amendment. FULL STORY PETITION LANGUAGE
The Proposal Does Not Ban Human Cloning
The proposal does not secure a human cloning ban in Michigan's Constitution. The proposal states it will do nothing to change the current law banning cloning, but it actually does nothing to protect Michigan's ban on cloning. FULL STORY PETITION LANGUAGE
The Proposal Permits Unrestricted Science
In November, voters should not be deceived by this proposal. It will allow for unregulated, unrestricted experimentation on human embryos.The proposal’s language allows for any research on live human embryos which is permitted under federal law. Federal law currently has no restrictions on research on human embryos. Therefore, research on human embryos in Michigan would have no restrictions. FULL STORY PETITION LANGUAGE

Paid for with regulated funds by Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science & ExperimentationP.O. Box 9808, Grand Rapids, MI 49509
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