Missouri Constitutional Amendment #2

The amendment on the November ballot that claims to 'set limits' on stem cell research is filled with deceptions. I want to point out and bring to light some of these deceptions so my readers are informed on the dangers to life in our world today.

Lets begin with the actual wording that will appear on the ballot and will be what the voters read when they vote. The ballot description says:

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?

This is deceptive in itself. It tries to sugar coat much of the true purpose of the amendment. Voters are presented with what seems to be benign. It seems to ban cloning, provide medical oversight and promote lifesaving cures. The actual amendment, however, could not be further from the truth.

I want to take a look at the actual full text of the amendment. First and foremost, a very important definition used in this amendment is purposely deceptive. The term 'cloning' according to the amendment is defined as meaning "to implant in a uterus or attempt to implant in a uterus anything other than the product of fertilization of an egg of a human female by a sperm of a human male for the purpose of initiating a pregnancy that could result in the creation of a human fetus, or the birth of a human being." There are multiple problems with this definition including the fact that:

• There is nothing in the definition that limits implantation into an artifical or animal uterus. This IS a realistic possibility. While no artificial uteruses have been developed yet, animal uteruses have already been used for implantation.
• It does not limit someone from cloning a fertilized egg but with no intention of allowing the fetus to come to term. Basically, scientists have free reign as long as they don't let the embryo mature...in other words...as long as the kill the living, human embryo.

The following clause, however, seems to limit the collecting of stem cells from a fertilized egg: No human blastocyst may be produced by fertilization solely for the purpose of stem cell research. Yet, nothing prevents the collecting of stem cells from Somatic Cell Nuclear Transfer (SCNT), which does not entail use of a fertilized egg, but creates a blastocyst nonetheless that is a living human being.

Another example of a deceptive clause in the amendment is the use of a blastocyst. This clause of the amendment says: No stem cells may be taken from a human blastocyst more than fourteen days after cell division begins; provided, however, that time during which a blastocyst is frozen does not count against the fourteen-day limit. The primary deception is that by fourteen days, what was originally known medically as a blastocyst is now called an embryo. The clause does not prevent retrieving stem cells from this embryo. Also, once a blastocyst is implanted, it is no longer a "blastocyst."

These are just a few of the deceptions of this amendment. A full description of these deceptions can be found on the Missouri Right to Life web site. In the final analysis, this amendment doesn't restrict cloning and stem cell research. Rather, it gives scientists and doctors a blank check via the numerous loopholes.

Many of my readers might ask why this matters to me since I am not a resident of Misosuri. The danger and reason my readers should be VERY concerned is that this amendment, if passed, opens the floodgates to other states adopting similiar measures and even expanding upon existing ones. This is an immense and evil attack on life. All life is precious and deserves the dignity God calls us to give. This amendment makes a human being, at its earliest stages, a marketable product that can be used and thrown away just like can of soda. Think about life becoming rubbish. Until next time...God bless.

posted by: crossman at 21:07 | link | comments |
blog