Brainstorming for a cure?

[Montgumski]

Nonsense

Embryos are not human life. While they may be life in the general sense that one celled organisms and plants are life, they are not human life. The individual embryo cells have yet to differentiate into bone, muscle or nerve cells. They can't think , feel , see or hear.

[kitty]

In actuality, the stem cells in question here are not even embryos. They are clumps of cells, destined for the dumpster unless some good can come from them. Oh, I thought I was done. Sorry about that!

[indrep]

Fertility clinics in the US currently hold approximately 400,000 unneeded embryos that are destined for disposal. I don't believe that embryo's should be created solely for research, but if they've already been created and will be destroyed otherwise, why not use them for research to treat diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, spinal cord injuries, etc?

Sad, 400,000 babies who will never see daylight. Nursing homes are full of people who are "unneeded" what should we do? This thread is based on spiritual beliefs and if you don't value every life then you probably feel different than someone who values every life.

Embryos are not human life. While they may be life in the general sense that one celled organisms and plants are life, they are not human life. The individual embryo cells have yet to differentiate into bone, muscle or nerve cells. They can't think , feel , see or hear.

So could the embryo made by two humans be a giraffe? I know that I am only a poor ignorant country boy, but no one in these parts was pregnant and birthed something other than a human.

My family is Chirstian, I believe you have every right to have the faith that you are happy with. I just don't think we should change facts to fit our faith.

[Danny_]

I've thought about this and that maybe it's possible that a lot of us are missing a certain enzyme that people with normal eyes have and that this prevents the lacrimal gland from functioning properly. It would be an interesting study. I am reading up on gene therapy but so far, the cures have not been very successful. As for stem cells...well, all I can say is 3 more years of Bush and counting. It's a pity that his veto wasn't over-turned by our gutless politicians.

[Montgumski]

Indrep, now your spinning

Here's some news for you. Giraffe embryos from giraffe parents are not giraffes either. They just have the POTENTIAL to become giraffes. Same thing with humans , goats and chickens. These small clump of cells are no greater then the bacteria that inhabit our living environment on a daily bases. Tell me, do you use anti-bacterial soap?

[Rebecca Petris]

Y'know, I don't have anything against controversy and I don't want to inhibit frank discussion on topics that can actually be beneficial to us as dry eye patients.

But I think we all value and rely on the accepting and supportive environment here and while many people necessarily have very strongly held views on this subject, I'd like to see us stop short of open hostilities or discourtesy. A lot of interesting points have been made on both sides. If you want to carry the debate further there are some better suited forums for it. Here's a list of some of them. Thanks.

[indrep]

Just Ivory.

[SusieD]

So, SusieD, keep in mind that public money is MY money and YOUR money. The governement doesn't just print it and spend it. It's tax money taken from our pockets and redistributed. And no, I do not want my money used to fund embryonic stem cell research.

Thats your feelings on it and thats fine - I merely expressed mine.

I don't feel it is necessary to be quite so condescending. I am quite aware what 'public money' is.

Im also sure our taxes get spent on a lot of others things that a lot of us would not agree with.

Any thread that delves into morality, religion and politics is doomed! So Im leaving it at that.

Oh yeah, Im not American and just commenting from a general point of view - Im not taking a swipe at the US.

[kakinda]

Hi
I just want to say a couple of things:

Diana,Indrep no one will ever force you to have any op. involving embryonic stem cells... I respect your opinion and believe me when i tell that i just value those embryos in a different way that you do. I think that you must be against in vitro fecondation altogether since it will inevitably create surnumerary embryos... and therefore condenm some of these...
I thought we could have democratic debate (regardless of the country we're in, origins, etc) and expressing one's opinion on matters that pertain not to one country but to mankind in general.... and i had the feeling this was one.

Lucy, please feel free to criticise European Goverments, as I don't get a tickle when people from the inside, outside and regardless of their origins do it. I call it democracy and being a citizen of the world.
You may "complain" freely (if that's how you see, I was actually surprised to see the words backlash later on since we we're discussing general policies not trying to cause anyone in particuliar more distress, not attacking anyone in particular except for goverments, etc) about any western European country I have ties with...
Gosh, somehow it all became so personal!
Criticism is in the true meaning of the word is the analysis of the good and the bad... so there are great things about the US indeed including freedom of speech but as you can see we're not deprived of that here too... but no country is perfect, not even Canada, which has a pretty good record as far international law is concerned! not even Sweden which an excellent record in social matters, not even one of my 3 countries, and so on.
By no means i was trying to attack the American people...
Some issues pertain to makind rather than to one country, (I guess it's even easier to realise that when one as 3 nationalities like myself), here's a few i can think of: environment, bioethics, health issues, international law, etc... well actually any behaviour that will impact any other country.

I will comment on transnational health issues - unless asked orthewise by the owner's of this forum and then decide my participation accordingly- regardless of the specific country where that issue may be located... I'll try to refrain myself from addressing other collateral issues or do so in appropriate forums as long as a free speech is accepted there as well.
take care kakinda

[Rebecca Petris]

I will comment on transnational health issues - unless asked orthewise by the owner's of this forum and then decide my participation accordingly

This is obviously a touchy issue and is necessarily a personal one for many. If you drop a match on dry grass, don't be surprised when you see flames. I've been known to apply a squirt or two with my hose when I see a likelihood of people getting hurt, and I will continue to follow my own judgment in that regard. I am not going to tell people what they should or shouldn't talk about. I only ask that we all try to be considerate and civil and remember the actual purpose of the board - helping people get information and support for coping with dry eye.

[dianat]

Well everybody, I've been thinking a lot about this thread. And where I didn't expect it to hurt anybody personally, a subject such as this most sensitive one always will.

I'd committed myself as I mentioned at the beginning of one of my postings that I would not allow myself to take any of this personally. I shoudn't have expected everyone to manage that.

What's more is I did address SusieD specifically in my last posting. I didn't think this would be any more harmful than everyone else re-pasting my quotes and responding to them specifically. I'm sorry if this bothered her. My tone was one of passion, and was not meant to be condescending.

Additionally, I do tend to be passionate about just about everything. I'm probably more passionate of my love of country than even embryonic stem cell research. If I hadn't taken the opportunity to clarify what is being done in this country with regard to stem cell research, I'd have felt like a wimp.

I was less concerned believe it or not, with trying to change everyone's mind about embryonic research. My original desires were to clarify what exactly is being done in this country in regard to this research. So many people (including most Americans) think it's been made illegal. There's a big difference between not funding with federal money and making it illegal.

And so, I will not post any more on this particular thread. Rebecca has asked us to take this elsewhere. The truth is that on the day we typed all this stuff, it took too much time out of my day. My kids were starving and neglected. It's best that I curtail my involvement in threads like this.

Lastly, as I said before I did not allow myself to be personally offended by any of this. I will, however, be really bothered if we cannot move past this issue and continue as before. The true reason I am on this web site is more to provide support and optimism for others, and less for my own personal benefit and comfort. I'll not lose sight of that again.