Stem Cell Research - Our #1 Wedge Issue

[ruggerson]

Stem Cell legislation should be on EVERY statewide ballot referendum in 2006 and 2008.

Even in culturally conservative red states, our side wins this one by 2 to 1 margins.

It will help mobilize liberals and centrists to actually come to the polls to vote for something which they believe in.

It could actually mean the difference in a few swing states, since many of these voters who regularly vote Dem, will be more motivated to come to the polls with a contentious ballot initiative on the table.

[wiggs]

1. Another wedge issue: environment. nt

[HillDem]

2. Another: Minimum Wage

Even a majority of "enterprising" conservatives support raising it.

[Igel]

3. If nothing else, it would probably educate

people as to the different kinds of stem cells and the possible benefits/drawbacks with each, as well as to the different kinds of funding available for each kind. Even the use of new lines of embryonic stem cells (or whatever the prescriptivist mavens of PC-jargon would mandate) isn't illegal, unless some towns or states have laws against them.

There's a serious stem cell clinical trial going on in Houston, I think at Baylor, for example. I've only seen it mentioned on local media, and that was one story on one day, corresponding to when the researchers issued the press release. Probably federally funded, at least in part, since they don't use embryonic stem cells; that also probably accounts for the less-than-overwhelming publicity it's attracted.

[Coastie for Truth]

4. We have to handle it right

and ally ourselves with the Diabetes, Parkinsons, Spinal Cord Injury, etc. advocacy groups.