Readers from Iowa, Clone the Truth needs your help. Governor Tom Vilsack, wants to repeal Iowa's ban on SCNT or cloning. He said this in his Condition of the State Address:
"We never dreamt that the treatments resulting from those research opportunities would ever develop so quickly, would ever develop lifesaving treatments, but they have."Here is the full article from the Iowa State Daily.
Where do I begin? I think I will quote Wesley J. Smith from his blog since he pointed out Vilsack's error:
"THERE HAVE BEEN NO NEW TREATMENTS. THERE HAVE NEVER EVEN BEEN EMBRYONIC STEM CELLS TAKEN FROM CLONED EMBRYOS!"
The Iowa State Daily is just as guilty because they did not challenge or correct the Governor.
I could write Tom Vilsack and the Iowa State Daily, but since I am not a constituent, my protests will likely fall on deaf ears. This is why I need your help. Please write to your Governor and the Iowa State Daily and inform them of the error. And more importantly ask Vilsack to retract and that particular false statement.
Here is what I would write to Gov. Vilsack:
Dear Gov. Vilsack,In your Condition of the State Address you made the following statement about somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) better known as cloning, "We never dreamt that the treatments resulting from those research opportunities would ever develop so quickly, would ever develop lifesaving treatments, but they have."
That is a false statement. There have not only not been any "treatments" resulting from embryonic stem cell lines taken from cloned embryos created by SCNT, but there has never even been any embryonic stem cell lines taken from cloned embryos EVER.
It is critical that the people of Iowa have all the facts on SCNT and embryonic stem cell research, so that they can make informed decisions. It is imperative that as their governor that you present the issue properly. Cloning by SCNT is the same procedure that resulted in Dolly the sheep. By lifting the ban on SCNT in Iowa, you may be opening the door for reproductive cloning or cloning to produce children. The people of Iowa need to weigh the benefits and the consequences of such an action. They can not do that if you mislead them with statements about treatments and scientific progress that do not exist.
I therefore ask that you correct your false statement.
You can e-mail Gov. Vilsack here.
Please let us know if you get a response.
