NO ON AMENDMENT 2, THE
“MISSOURI STEM CELL RESEARCH AND CURES INITIATIVE”
Human cloning will be enshrined
in the Missouri Constitution if Amendment 2 passes November 7th. While the
measure claims to ban “human cloning,” it only bans a human clone from being
implanted in a woman, not from being created and then killed for research
purposes. Amendment 2 is nothing short of a grand deception.
Amendment 2, also known as the
Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, is deceptive even in its
title. “Stem cell research” of all kinds is already legal. The
Church and the pro-life movement do not want to curtail “stem cell research,”
but only those forms of embryonic stem cell research that require the killing of
human embryos. What’s more, hope for “cures” from stem cell research has
only been found in adult stem cells, not those taken from human embryos.
Adult stem cell research, which
harms no one and has never been controversial, has yielded dozens of medical
treatments thus far. Embryonic stem cell research, in spite of years of
work and experimentation, has yielded nothing. To say that Amendment 2
would bring “cures” to people is a heartbreakingly cruel and exploitative
attempt to line the pockets of those who would profit from human cloning.
Among other things, Amendment 2
would prohibit state and local governments from withholding public funds from
those who clone humans for experimentation and who work for institutions that
receive public money for purposes other than stem cell research. This
means that the state of Missouri would be required to fund the destruction of
the smallest human beings.
The impact of Amendment 2 gets
worse. According to attorney Steven Rogers, under the terms of the
initiative, the legislature couldn’t even regulate the companies and
institutions that clone humans for research purposes. Amendment 2 flatly
proclaims that no state or local law may “prevent, restrict, obstruct, or
discourage any stem cell research….” In the words of Mr. Rogers, “[The
right to conduct embryonic stem cell research established by Amendment 2] is
designed to operate above the rule of law.” Those who clone humans for
experimentation would be a law unto themselves.
The list of horrors of Amendment
2 is long. The measure is not just about allowing and funding embryonic
stem cell research, which would be reasons enough to oppose it. It’s about
creating more constitutional protection for cloning than even abortion has.
Its impact would be sweeping and not for the good.
Amendment 2 is being funded
primarily by the Stowers family, founders of a multi-billion dollar medical
research institute, which spent $1 million to get the initiative on the ballot
and which has committed $10 million to the campaign. Needless to say,
opponents do not have similar resources.
We urge voters to become aware of
the deadly serious threats that this measure presents. Please visit
Missourians Against Human Cloning (http://www.nocloning.org/default.html)
and Missouri Right to Life (http://www.missourilife.org/index.html)
for more information.
What is Priests for Life doing
about this amendment?
Priests for Life has made the public
aware of this initiative by means of our television and radio interviews,
letters, and emails. In particular, our educational efforts all year round
regarding cloning and stem cell research is helping pro-life people in Missouri
to argue against the proponents of this initiative.
Priests for Life continues to keep the priests of Missouri - and all the priests
across the country - aware of the urgency of protecting human life in its
earliest stages, and encourages the efforts of the various dioceses in this
regard.
Our overall educational activity about elections (
www.PoliticalResponsibility.com
), of course, ties into this ballot initiative and assists people to know how to
generate more votes.
Recently, Fr. Frank took part in the special meeting of pro-life leaders
regarding the Missouri Amendment. And we will be collaborating with them
in the weeks and days before nov.7.
Read more here:
www.mocatholic.org/StemCell-Cloning/QandAHumanCloning.htm
Click here for a press release from
National Right to Life.
Fr. Pavone: MIT Professor's
Statements Expose a Major Deception of Embryonic Stem Cell Advocates
More
Legislation
