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| Current | Updated May 20, 2005 |
Bill Endorsing Human Cloning & Destroying Human Embryos Now Before Governor for Final Veto; Last Vote in Legislature At End of Month |
The issues of human cloning and the destruction of human embryos are before our state legislature. Please contact your state representative to urge him or her to protect human life from exploitation by backing a veto by the Governor of a pro-cloning bill. The legislative leadership has put this issue on the fast track.
Background
Scientists in Massachusetts are killing human embryos in the laboratory for research. The embryos come from fertility clinics, abandoned by infertile couples who had them created by combining an egg and sperm in a petri dish. The scientists want the state to promote the destruction of frozen embryos to get their embryonic stem cells. These cells would then be used to find cures for various diseases and disabilities.
Scientists also want the state to approve human cloning for the same reason. Cloning is a process that copies human life in the laboratory without combining an egg and sperm. Instead, the nucleus of an adult's human skin cell, for example, with all of the human genetic code, is inserted into a woman's egg and manipulated into creating a twin at the embryonic stage.
Joining other scientific authorities, national scientific commissions under Presidents Clinton and George W. Bush agreed that this cloning process, called somatic cell nuclear transfer, creates a new human embryo.
The scientists want to clone human embryos to make up for the limited supply of frozen embryos at the fertility clinics. These cloned embryos also would be killed to harvest their stem cells. Thus, scientists want to create life only to destroy life for research purposes.
Besides being wrong, this research is unnecessary. Exciting research using adult stem cells has lead to cures already. No one has yet been cured by embryonic stem cells. Adult stem cells are found in our bone marrow and other tissue. They can be obtained without killing anyone. Science does not have to kill in order to cure!
Legislative Developments
The legislature has approved S. 2039, which endorses cloning and embryo research. It also redefines when human life begins and opens the door to mass production of lives in the laboratory to be destroyed for research purposes.
On May 19, the MA Senate and House rejected four amendments submitted by Governor Romney to change the cloning and embryo research bill. To see how your legislators have voted so far, click on Cloning Vote Tallies. The legislature then sent S. 2039 back to the Governor, which he promises to veto by May 29.
A veto will kill the bill if enough legislators vote to sustain it. Our best chance is in the House where 54 votes are needed to sustain the veto.
Time is of the essence for the grassroots to speak out!
Action Steps
1) On Wednesday, March 2nd, the Massachusetts Catholic Bishops issued a major statement on Human Cloning and Research on Human Embryos. Read it at http://www.macathconf.org/05bishops_cloning_web_statement.htm. You can download a pdf copy to share with friends. All Catholic pastors received a copy from their chanceries and were urged to distribute it in their parishes. You can request a copy also by calling the Mass. Catholic Conference at 617-367-6060.
2) Contact your state representative. Urge him or her to back the Governor's expected veto of any bill that endorses the cloning and killing of human life.
Your message can be as simple as this: "I am ____, a constituent who lives at ____ address; I want the Governor/my senator/my representative, to back the Governor's veto of S. 2039, a bill that endorses research that clones or kills human embryos."
You can contact your officials by phone by calling the State House switchboard at 617-722-2000, or by calling your town hall to get a direct number.
You can also go online to find your legislators at http://www.wheredoivotema.com/bal/myelectioninfo.php. Enter your home address, click "Find my election information", and then click on the names of Gov. Romney, your state senator, and state representative to get their address, phone, and email information.
3) Get your friends to do the same!
4) Learn more about the cloning and embryo research issues by accessing the online cloning resources page of the Massachusetts Catholic Conference at http://www.macathconf.org/cloning_resources.htm.
5) Pray!