It may be Monday, but it also happens to be a great day, thanks an executive order to be signed later today in the White House's East Room by President Obama.
Last fall you heard myself and others constantly beat the Prop 2 drum, and thankfully Michigan overturned a restrictive ban on embryonic stem cell research. Literally within hours of the election, the University of Michigan's Life Sciences Department responded in kind, activating an expansion and development plan of their Stem Cell Biology program.
Today's executive order from President Obama overturns the archaic regulations imposed by Bush that limits the funding used on stem cell research. Up until now, researchers using federal grant money were stuck using stem cell lines developed before August of 2001. Most of those lines were old and unusable.
Not only does this executive order allow for more research, it also allows labs, like the one at U of M to hire more researchers. i.e. more jobs to find cures to debilitating diseases like Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes, Alzheimer's, cancer, spinal cord injuries, and to help victims of burns, among a host of many other maladies.
At the beginning of the year, a wise man speculated, as many before him had, that stem cell research could be key to Michigan's survival, particularly with the state of the Auto Industry. Just a few short weeks later, the FDA approved the first human trial therapy developed with embryonic stem cells.
The election was just a few short months ago, and Prop 2 becoming law even sooner than that, it looks as if Michigan got on board the bandwagon just in time.
I've wrote about it, I've blogged about it, my family even made their first ever YouTube and blog post. I don't know any other way of getting across how incredibly meaningful it is to me that Proposal 2 passes.
As much as I am open about sharing my thoughts in blog posts about this policy or that politician, when it comes to telling the world how difficult my own journey has been (or even showing my face on The Intertubes) because of my Crohn's Disease, it's a different story.
But I'm doing it because Proposal 2 is personal. It's about hope for me, my family, and those you know who deal with chronic disease and injuries.
Please, give us the hope for cures here in Michigan. Watch this that my mom and I taped, and then send it on to everyone you know and encourage them to say YES to Proposal 2.
When our oldest daughter was 15, she was finally diagnosed with Crohn’s disease, and it threw our world into an upheaval. All throughout her high school years – which, by all accounts, should have been the best years of her life – we lived out every parent’s nightmare, watching our oldest child go in and out of the hospital way too many times. Surgery after surgery and test after test we helplessly looked on praying for the good health for our previously totally healthy child. By the time the last surgery was completed, she had lost much of her lower digestive system, including her rectum and colon.
Because Crohn’s disease is an auto-immune condition, treatments are few and far between, and there is no cure. It is for this reason that we are lifting our voices proudly in support of Proposal 2 which, if passed, would lift the ban on embryonic stem cell research in Michigan and give hope to our daughter and thousands across the state like her who could be treated through the scientific breakthrough of stem cell research.
So why did our entire family make this YouTube video?
If you read a newspaper, watch the evening news, or surf the web, there's a good chance that you've heard from one of the thousands of people that could personally benefit from embryonic stem cell research if Proposal 2 passes in Michigan.
From the U.P. to the southeast corner, Michigan's media has been closely following and reporting on this issue. Channel 7 in Detroit has an excellent analysis on both sides of the issue and TV 6 in Marquette offers a very introspective piece.
Whether it's living with Juvenile Diabetes like Ryan does, or a spinal cord injury like the one that Laura has, stuck with Multiple Sclerosis like Brenda is, a chronic heart condition like Kipp, or living with a chronic digestive disease like I do, it's amazing how a personal story can really cause people to think, and it's something that we're all hoping everyone does come November 4th.
As a person who has Crohn's Disease, something for which there is currently no known cause or cure, I'm fighting like hell to make sure that Michigan voters are hearing from people like Ryan, Laura, and myself because this issue is so important. Not just to us, but to families, our friends, and if we can have them, our children.
It's also important to the thousands more that will be diagnosed now and in the future with illnesses/injuries like ours, and cancer, ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease), Parkinson's, blindness, and the list goes on and on.
When the diagnosis is handed down, their lives will be shattered just as ours were. The difference for them after November 4th will be whether or not hope exists in the form of treatments and cures, something that for many of us is not available now, but something that Proposal 2 will.
We all remember how bravely actor Christopher Reeve fought for this very issue after suffering from a spinal cord injury, or how hard Michael J. Fox has pressed the country after his diagnosis with Parkinson's.
So from the thousands of Michigan residents whose lives are consumed with pain, illness and injury, all we ask is that you be our Superman or Superwoman on November 4th and vote Yes on Proposal 2 to Cure Michigan.
At an event in Waterford this past weekend, Bill Clinton said that embryonic stem cell research "was the pro-life position" and was all about helping people -
“There isn’t a person here who doesn’t know someone who could be benefited by this work,” Clinton told the crowd of several hundred in Waterford Township, northwest of Detroit. ... "This is about letting Michigan do what can be done in almost any other state.”
It seems as it most folks around the state feel the same way, including Catholics, in spite of the church's hierarchy coming out against Proposition 2, which would amend the state's constitution overturn the archaic ban and allow for the research.
The National Catholic Register has an online poll about the topic, and 76% of those who took it support this necessary research. Kind of makes you think, doesn't it?
Current law dictates that these unused stem cell lines must be discarded if not used by couples who donate them to fertility clinics. These clinics are literally forced to throw out something that could be used to find a cure. As if that weren't atrocious enough, a researcher that dares to use these lines to help find a cure could be jailed up to 10 years in prison. If that's not backwards, I'm not sure what is.
Clinton's got a real point. Using something that currently gets thrown out and turning it into improving the quality of life for thousands and even saving lives for thousands others is about as pro-life as one can get.
To me, if the Catholic Diocese were truly sincere about being pro-life, it seems they should be out protesting fertility clinics that throw out these life-saving lines, not pouring enormous amounts of time and money into fighting this initiative that could save so many. I mean - where is the outrage that these embryos are being destroyed in the trash?
I also think that it shows that everyday citizens like you and I realize that this research could make a world of difference for someone we know that suffers from Diabetes, Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, blindness, or like me - an auto-immune disease like Crohn's Disease, for which there is no known cause or cure.
Imagine what a difference it would make if our healthcare costs weren't so high treating life-long illnesses. Insurance might actually be affordable, and the economic gain that the state would reap from new businesses and research would be a real shot in the arm.
So while a few high ranking individuals hope that we're going to act like sheep in a literal sense more than just a figurative one, I'm extremely inspired to see that so many of us, regardless of our backgrounds and religious beliefs all agree that Michigan needs Prop 2 to cure what ails us and our state.
(Sign up to help spread the word about Prop 2 with a letter to the editor of your local paper here.)
Halloween is still weeks away and yet there's already a heavy emphasis on trickery by those few who for some unknown reason, would like to keep Michigan trapped in the Dark Ages.
Luckily for the rest of us, the treat for Michigan is not hard to find. It lies within the truth, and the promise of hope and cures for thousands across the state who will benefit from overturning the state's ban on stem cell research in the form of Proposition 2.
Chances are you've already been treated to the desperate tricks of the opposition. You know that ad that's running on TV, the one that looks like a bad spoof from the SciFi channel featuring fictitious companies like 'Human Harvest' and 'Crop Corp'? Yeah, that'd be the folks that seem to be all about serving up scary but short on hope and cures for those of us who suffer. Go figure.
I have a feeling these are the same type of people who didn't believe Copernicus when he said that the Earth was round or Alexander Fleming, who discovered that penicillin could be used treat disease in the human body. But with their latest campaign built on lies and deception, one can only guess what sorts of method drive their madness.
Don't be fooled into thinking that this is a partisan issue. Two of the Cure Michigan's Campaign top folks are some of the state's most respected Republicans. From a press conference yesterday -
"They simply are not telling the truth," said former U.S. Rep. Joe Schwarz, chair of the MiCure campaign. "I cannot use the word inaccurate, this is worse than inaccurate" he said of the ad that began airing in the state over the weekend.
The insinuation of a corporate plot to waylay responsible, ethical stem cell research is stunningly disingenuous," Schwarz added. "Our opponents are fabricating sinister-sounding names for non-existent medical research companies they want voters to believe will exploit the invaluable research into cures provided by Proposal 2. We want to make sure voters aren't duped by opponents of cures."
“I spent years in the Michigan Legislature, and I saw a lot of political wheeling and dealing, but this deliberate deception is appalling,” said Rick Johnson, former Republican Speaker of the House and a CureMichigan board member. “Opponents of cures know taxes are a hot-button issue, so they’re pushing it even though it has no basis in fact.”
Let's face it, the only scary thing we have to face about stem cell research in Michigan is not allowing it and we have thousands, young and old, black and white, rich and poor that are left to suffer from debilitating diseases and injuries. We can't afford not to cure Michigan.
Don't be fooled, ignore the trickery of those who oppose cures for Michigan and make sure you say 'Yes' to Prop 2.
Your mother, your child, your brother, your friend, your grandparent, your aunt. You.
I was 14. They said I had Crohn's Disease and they were without a reason for the illness, without a cure, without a real treatment.
Almost 15 years later, I'm missing my colon and rectum, among other miscellaneous parts and pieces. My body is a walking tribute to the skill of surgeons after 36 surgeries and almost 80 hospitalizations.
To stay alive and functioning in society, I require over $300 in ostomy supplies a month, not to mention the various treatments and medications that keep the other 'peripheral' conditions and illnesses at bay. I have a deep love-hate relationship with the insurance industry.
I'd like to have children some day, but I realize that if I'm even able to have children, which is unknown at this point because of my health, there's a great risk of passing my disease on. Do I want to do that to my child?
Not a day doesn't pass when I don't realize how lucky I am to be alive, but I also understand that there are millions that like me, suffer from illnesses and injuries that could be one day cured, so that we don't have to suffer.
But first we need the proper research to be done, and so much promise lies in stem cell research.
Unfortunately, Michigan is one of five states that lies in wait for progress to happen. Since 1978, we've been stuck in a Draconian period along with Arkansas, North Dakota, South Dakota, and Louisiana; definitely some of the least progressive states in our Union.
Fortunately for us, that could change this November. We all have an opportunity to be a part of making a Cure happen for Michigan.
... The CureMichigan ballot campaign says it turned in more than 570,000 voter signatures Monday. More than 380,000 of them must be valid for the proposal to make the ballot.
The proposal would allow research on donated embryos created for fertility treatments that otherwise would be discarded. Supporters say embryonic stem cell research holds the potential to help cure or treat diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's....
We are proud to announce that stem cell research has earned a spot on the November ballot. Michigan is one large step "Closer to Cures."
This effort began with the idea that everyone knows someone in need of a Cure....
The opposition is committed to challenging our message and perpetuating fear. Be ready to respond that the ballot proposal strengthens Michigan's ban on human cloning, allows ethical, compassionate research, and prohibits the sale of human embryos.
With your continued help, Michigan couples will soon have an important right -- to donate their excess embryos for research, which are now discarded as medical waste. Michigan citizens are outraged that embryos are currently thrown away everyday, instead of used for life-saving research. Research that is currently supported in 45 other states in our nation.
Together we can give Michigan patients hope.
CureMichigan is having a press conference in about 15 minutes. You can watch it here.
Today is the deadline for proposals movements to turn in signatures. We may also have the Reform Michigan Government Now proposal as well. The Fair Tax petition initiative failed to collect enough signatures.
So, how do you think this might influence the other races in the state?
Some say my interest in the advancement of stem cell research, particularly embryonic stem cell research is selfish.
To an extent, they're right.
But show me one person here in Michigan or in the entire world who's life doesn't have the potential to be drastically altered by stem cell research.
You might be searching for quite some time.
Within the last 5 years, I've lost one grandfather to complications from Diabetes, another grandfather to Pulmonary Fibrosis, and a grandmother to ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). My remaining two grandparents are fighting losing battles to Parkinson's Disease and another case of Pulmonary Fibrosis.
Thanks to a particularly severe case of Crohn's Disease, I've undergone over 70 hospitalizations and made it through 35 surgeries. I'm missing my large intestine, rectum, and one of the two major veins in my arm. My stomach looks like a small war was waged on it, scar crisscrossing scar. My parents insurance company spent an astronomical amount keeping me alive the 10 years I suffered before entering remission.
As it stands now, the rest of my life will hinge on whether this disease, for which there is no known cause or cure, will suddenly reappear. As my doctors like to remind me, I'm not carrying around too many spare parts anymore.
My monthly out-of-pocket costs for the ostomy supplies that I need to stay alive would be over $300. I'm one of the lucky few to have insurance that covers the full cost.
If I had been born 50-75 years later in the future to a Michigan that not only allowed embryonic stem cell research, but promoted it, our Big Three research universities would take over where the Auto Industry has faltered in employment, income, and state revenue. There could be important advancements in the treatment for my disease, and the diseases that robbed me of my grandparents and face millions of Americans; or perhaps even a cure.
Last week, Democratic Floor Leader in the Senate, Buzz Thomas went up against Skubic's Copacabana Club on Off the Record and did a darn good job, despite the blinding wardrobe selections of Skubick, Kyle Melinn and who could miss Bill Ballenger's wannabe-Saville Row seersucker suit. But I digress.
This week, Rep. Andy Meisner (Ferndale) hits another one out of the park as Skubick, and his band of MSM grill him on his bill (H.B. 4616) which repeals the ban on Stem Cell Research here in Michigan.
Check out this week's episode, available online or check your local time on PBS.
Stay tuned next week as Rep. Meisner took some time out of his busy schedule to speak with me on this issue that's very near and dear to my heart.
As reported on DailyKos yesterday, President Bush has - once again - gone against the will of the American people to block life-saving stem cell research. Governor Granholm issued this statement:
"I am increasingly disappointed that the president continues to disregard the resounding voice of the American majority, medical and scientific researchers, and patient advocacy groups who favor embryonic stem cell research. Stem cell research offers great hope to those who suffer from disabilities and disease. We must now rely on strong bipartisan support from Congress to override the president's veto and return that hope to these individuals. I also want to encourage the Michigan Legislature to pass bills introduced in both the House and Senate that would lift restrictions on embryonic stem cell research and improve treatment and provide life-saving cures to Michigan residents with incapacitating illnesses."
Governor Granholm, along with 13 other Democratic governors, have been pushing President Bush to sign this legislation. Earlier this month, they sent a letter requesting he step out of the way of progress and ease restrictions on federally funded embryonic stem cell research.
Some people say "Oh, only religious fundamentalist losers are against stem cell research", but some of those same people want to legalize prostitution or abolish age of consent etc. Ouch.
Anyway, I recall hearing from Andy Dillon himself back in February that despite some of his personal misgivings, he might be willing to repeal some of the Michigan restrictions on stem cell research. (Which, by the way, does not necessarily imply that that research would then be funded with public money, which is a somewhat separate issue. Cf. the "Hyde Amendment" which does not overturn Roe v. Wade, but does restrict public funding of abortions.)
Something which might make it easier for Dillon and others to support such a liberalization of research laws, could be an amendment/rider/whatever saying that whatever results came from stem cell research would have to be labeled as such, so that if believers think it is "not kosher" (or "not Christian", whatever), they don't have to use the results of the research. Refusal to use the results might literally kill them (cf. Jehovah's Witnesses refusing blood transfusions), but if they want to put their faith money where their mouth is...
The beauty of this proposal, or part of it, is that it places the burden on religious/ethical believers, as some or most of it should be. They perhaps should not have the right to prevent the whole state of Michigan from doing stem cell research. However, if they themselves think it is sinful to use the results, then they will be duly informed, and they don't have to profit from those results. The Amish have a right not to use race cars if they prefer horse carts, and similarly, people shouldn't have to use stem-cell-derived research if they don't want. (I recognize that, especially after years' time, it could get blurry trying to track which research leads to what results and further new experiments, etc. Still, the proposal may be worth trying.)
Anyway, this is a "compromise" of sorts, whereby, under "separation of church/state", people would be freer to do research on different kinds of stem cells, but the "anti" camp would also receive some recognition and respect, and the right to be informed that certain products are "tainted". (I believe I read that similar legislation, here or maybe in Britain, will be attached to various cloning projects, to let people know that the products come from cloning.)
Weigh in as you like. Remember, you were a little clump of cells once, so show some love for the cells...
