Right Wing Should Adopt 400,000 Frozen Embryos
http://i39.photobucket.com/albums/e164/bobgeiger/sammy_stem_cell.gif " alt="" border="0" />Now that George W. Bush, aided by Congressional Republicans and the Religious Right, has ruined immediate hope of meaningful progress on stem cell research, it's time for Democrats to tell them to put up or shut up on their strident claims that a child is born almost the minute two people even discuss conception.
One of the primary arguments against federal funding of stem cell research was the alleged viability of the 400,000 frozen embryos in storage at fertility clinics throughout the country.
Sam Brownback (R-KS), one of the Senate's major stem cell opponents, even went through the theater of holding a press conference showcasing children whose parents adopted them as frozen embryos from fertility clinics --the so-called "snowflake babies."
"What we're talking about in this debate is the use of embryos, young humans, as raw materials, raw material in research, raw material to exploit," said Brownback.
Bush himself made many similar statements and his spokesman, Tony Snow, even said that Bush considers it murder to conduct stem cell research.
"What the President has said is that he doesn't want human life destroyed. Now, you may consider that insignificant, but the President has said…. [he] believes strongly that for the purpose of research it's inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder; he's one of them," said Snow. "The simple answer is he thinks murder is wrong. The President is not going to get on the slippery slope of taking something that is living and making it dead for the purpose of research."
Senate and House Democratic leaders Harry Reid (D-NV) and Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) need to call these guys on their pious claims and immediately propose legislation that would fund an adoption program for all 400,000 of the frozen embryos stored throughout America. The first people who should step up to the plate and adopt one of these microscopic entities are the 37 Senators who voted against the stem cell research bill on Tuesday and the 193 members of the House who refused to override Bush's veto of the bill yesterday. Heck, the Bush family alone could probably adopt a couple hundred of them.
That leaves only about 399,500 of the little cells to find homes for, which is where Bush can start a faith-based, Christian program and enlist the help of James Dobson, at the ultraconservative Focus on the Family, who called the stem cell bill "barbarous legislation" and lauded the veto, calling Bush "a man of his word and a champion for the pre-born."
With the 1.5 million listeners they claim for their daily radio broadcast and the combined circulation of about 2.3 million subscribers for their magazines, Focus on the Family alone should be able to provide cozy little Petri dishes for the remaining cells by the end of July.
But if, by any chance, they turn out to be a bunch of hypocrites who don't really see these as living beings or who just don't give a damn enough to help them, Bush can always hit up those God-fearing -- and science-fearing -- people at the Family Research Council (FRC).
"Rather than defend human dignity, for the first time in U.S. history a majority of Senators approved legislation to use taxpayers' money for research requiring the destruction of human life," said FRC Chief Taliban, Tony Perkins. "The President is absolutely right to veto this legislation."
With that kind of endorsement, Perkins should have no trouble getting his large, compassionate flock to adopt a stem cell or 10.
And think of what a win-win this is for everyone involved: The 400,000 cells will get a home with the people who claim to care about them the most. And the proud, new, exclusively-heterosexual "parents" will get an unprecedented amount of time to get the embryo's room ready, prep the other children for a new brother or sister and, of course, adjust the family finances for a new mouth to feed and a new family member who will need health care once they're bigger than the head of a pin.
I think this will work out just fine. Unless Congressional Republicans vote against it -- or Bush uses his second veto.
You can reach Bob Geiger at geiger.bob@gmail.com
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Absolutely Brilliant!
I think that this should be real legislation that the dems introduce immediately!
Image Brownback trying to explain why he intends to vote NO on a bill that would guarantee that all 400,000 of these stem cells would come to fruition as little repugs and instead he is voting to allow them to be discarded as medical waste, when he just "saved" them from evil liberals and use as lab rats!
Imagine the hypocrisy, the double-standard and the worming-around legislation of this type would cause the Bushites!
"If beings liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obediance and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it"
Repugs Can't Win an Argument They Don't Know How To Conduct
Frank,
You can't have an argument with them because that would mean they'd have to listen to your point of view and apply critical thinking. I've come to the conclusion that Repugs are simply hard-wired differently from free-thinking "liberals."
I actually don't like the word liberal because I don't know what it means or stands for anymore. I think I am an independent, or a progressive, or a humanist. The Liberals are my friends but they tend to get extreme and sometimes they show their anger in ways that makes them look and sound like unreasonable repugs. Brownback is a total hypocrite - the whole lot of them are. Stem cell research isn't killing anyone - in fact it is our duty to use science to save out species - these people are quite simply, morons. I don't know what other word to use. They are simple-minded yet cunning and dangerous. The are repugnant!
Give me Liberty or Give me ...
You are correct in that you
You are correct in that you don't know the meaning of the word "Liberal," or to whom it applies. You appear to have bought-in to the neocon definition of the word, and their bastardized connotation of its true meaning. An American Liberal stands for social progress, and improving the collective human condition -- under the guidance of the Constitution of the United States of America.
An un-American Neoconservative stands for social restraints, and altering the human condition to fit their definition of "normal," thereby weakening the Constitution. Communists and Libertarians more closely fit your perception of "extremists" and are NOT Liberals. "Independents" are little more than "centrists" who would like to appease both sides without having to go to the trouble of taking a stance.
When you state that Liberals "tend to get extreme," you couldn't be further from the truth. What is "extreme" about fighting for a return to the values and principles upon which this nation was founded, and has grown? What is "extreme" about supporting the Constitutional premise that ALL US citizens are equal, regardless of their ethnicity, race, gender, religious beliefs, or sexual preferences? What is "extreme" about loudly and pointedly opposing a wannabe fascist political cabal hiding behind the flag and phony "family values?"
It appears that you have confused patriotism with extremism, and that is exactly what Karl Rove and the PNAC crowd are attempting to have Middle Americans believe. They do it through the repetition of lies, propaganda, half-truths, and innuendo. It seems to have worked on you...
I am a proud Liberal American Democrat, as are most of the members of Democrats.com.
Bill, as always you bring a pragmatic...
Bill, as always you bring a pragmatic distinction that adds perfect color to a subject that most of us (true democrats) ake for granted. That this (the real definition of liberal) should be common knowledge -- but it's not -- as we easily see from the "indepedent poster" above who does not want to be called liberal and has fallen prey to the Rovian way!
I know how and who falsely painted the word liberal to mean something other than what it does, but as you lucidly lay out, it is profoundly madening that so many middle-Americans bought into it -- it being this fascist regime that hides behind flags, Bibles and family values.
When will America wake up and realize progressive advancement of society through a liberal agenda will be beneficial for nearly everyone, while the neocon conservative manifesto only lends a helping hand to 1% of this nation?
I think my signature line below, for me, says it all! ;-)
"If beings liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obediance and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
Liberalism
Has not changed in its philosophies in the hundreds of years since the enlightenment. It is the belief in the right for all adults to vote, the belief that men don't have to live under kings and tyrants and oppressive church leaders. It believes in keeping the institutions of government and religion completely seperate. It believes in justice for all, and true justice for the majority. It believes in fair treatment of criminals, and prisoners of war. It believes in things like trials by jury, and Constitutions and checks and balances within Constitutions. I could go on, but I will just also point out that the United States of America was the first country in the world founded upon the LIBERAL principles of the enlightenment. Hope that clarified a little for you.
Bush can't even string a sentence together ..
This from the President who trys to read "My Pet Goat"
upside down...
How can ANYONE expect him to understand Science?
Sco_angel, Fascist nations tend to promote.....
One of the defining 14-points of fascism is:
Disdain for Intellectuals and the Arts - Fascist nations tend to promote and tolerate open hostility to higher education, science and academia. It is not uncommon for professors and other academics to be censored or even arrested. Free expression in the arts and science is openly attacked.
Bush doesn't understand science -- he shuns it because he is afraid of it!
Critical thinking is always discouraged in fascist governments -- just look at Nazi Germany; intellect and competence where persecuted while loyalty to the State was richly rewarded.
"If beings liberal means critical thinking and informed dissent, instead of blind obediance and ignorant nationalism, then I am all for it!"
How can anyone be soooooo small minded....
to think that saving a cluster of
cells that is smaller than a pin
head is so damn important, yet he
has the audacity to use 18-42 yr.
olds as cannon fodder and think
he is doing the right thing????
Bush is very sick and needs to be
detained in a mental hospital.
I think that Bob is right on, these
rethugs in Congress should be called
out for their abhorent behavior
and show the public what complete
hypocrites they are. What are they
doing talking about what God would
do? How many million people have
there own take on "What God would
do?" and it has NO place on the
Senate or House floor. I'm sick of
hearing it.
Jon Stewart on the Daily
Jon Stewart on the Daily Show had a perfect juxtiposition of Bush's statements on embryos and the Iraqi dead.
As you say, Bush kills Americans by sending them to wars that will fatten the pockets of warprofiteers. Bush kills Americans every day by letting corporations regulate themselves on safety, health and pollution standards. Bush kills Americans by blocking any effective attempts to do something about global warming. Bush kills Americans by creating a state of lawlessness. Bush kills Americans by cutting back on social programs. Bush kills Americans by endorsing and practising collective punishment. Bush kills Americans by destroying the goverment's ability to react to disasters like Katrina. Bush kills Americans by taking a belligerant attitude against Russia and China. Bush kills Americans by his cowboy diplomacy against North Korea, Iran, Syria, Haiti, Venezuela, Columbia, Lebanon, Israel and Cuba. Bush kills Americans by being a strident advocate and practioner of the death penalty. Bush kills Americans by making torture an acceptable tool for the government.
Bush considers non-Americans as not really being human, so his disregard for their lives is infinite. Bush and Bush's Party are the Death Head Party and the party of absolute evil.
60%-80% of embryos are expelled by the female body in the normal course of life according to a guest on the Al Franken show. Why aren't the deathheads going through the waste of all female Americans to rescue his life? It would be appropriate for females to send Bush their waste so he can save the unborn.
To drag a man in fetters into the grand illuminated temple of liberty, and call upon him to join you in joyous anthems, were inhuman mockery and sacrilegious irony.
Frederick Douglass, July 4, 1852