Here is another article for Clone the Truth out of the embattled state of Missouri. No surprise that this one is from the Kansas City Star. Different byline, same misleading euphemisms:
Dear Mr. Hoover,
I am writing to inform you of errors in terminology in your piece "Stem-cell supporters begin ballot campaign" as seen on www.Kansascity.com dated August 15, 2006.
You write, "The initiative, labeled Amendment 2, would protect all stem-cell research in Missouri that is now allowed under federal law, and it would prohibit any attempts to implant cloned cells into a woman’s uterus in an attempt to give birth to a baby." Actually the laboratory technique in question is somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) which creates cloned embryos, not just cloned cells. A cloned embryo is a complete organism and cells are defined as a subunits of an organism. Implanting just any cells into a woman's uterus would not give rise to a baby. That can only be accomplished by implanting a complete organism, in this case a cloned embryo.
You also write, "The initiative follows failed legislative attempts for the past several years to ban the cloning of cells.." Once again, SCNT does not "clone cells" it creates cloned embryos. It is from the week-old cloned embryo that the embryonic stem cells are extracted. There is a critical scientific difference between simple cells and an ordered and complete organism like an embryo.
Please see this tutorial on SCNT from Princeton's Dept. of Molecular Biology that clearly shows that SCNT creates an embryo, not just "cells":
http://www.molbio.princeton.edu/courses/mb427/2001/projects/09/transfertutorial.htm
It is critical that your readers understand this initiative so that they can make an informed decision at the ballot box. That requires the proper scientific terminology. I therefore ask that you print a correction.
Sincerely,
Rebecca Taylor
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