LifeBeat for February 2, 2008

Sidewalk counselor Mary Verwys talks about her work at the Omega House. The Omega House is a prolife ministry which is located next door to an abortion clinic. To listen, click here.

LifeBeat for January 26, 2008

Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issue analysis for Focus on the Family, discusses some of the lies about abortion that many in our society believe. She also discusses how churches can reach out to women who have had abortions. To listen, click here.

Ban on Partial-Birth Abortion Passes Michigan Senate

On January 22, 2008, the Michigan Senate passed Senate Bill 776, known as the Partial-Birth Abortion Ban Act, by a vote of 24-13. This bill if passed in the Michigan House and signed by Governor Granholm would make it a crime in Michigan law to perform a partial-birth abortion. Any abortionist who "performs the overt act that kills the partially delivered living fetus rather than completing the delivery" would be guilty of a felony. For more information about this legislation, visit Right to Life of Michigan's web page on this legislation.

The Detroit News carried this article about the bill's passage.

State Senator Gretchen Whitmer falsely claims embryonic stem cell research banned in Michigan

Below is a letter to the editor of the Lansing State Journal which was submitted in response to a January 20 editorial by State Senator Gretchen Whitmer which falsely claimed that embryonic stem cell research is banned in Michigan.

In a recent editorial, State Senator Gretchen Whitmer falsely claimed Michigan "ban(s) embryonic stem cell research." Embryonic stem cell research has been occurring in Michigan since 2002. The University of Michigan has a "Michigan Center for hES (human embryonic stem) Cell Research." Their web page (http://www.med.umich.edu/medschool/hes/) boasts that "(m)ore than 40 scientists are active participants in the Center for hES Cell Research." Michigan law doesn't prevent embryonic stem cell research, it prevents human cloning and killing embryos for research.

Senator Whitmer wants to change that. Legislation she's sponsoring (Senate Bill 52) would change the definition of "human cloning" to legalize the creation of human embryos through a cloning procedure called somatic cell nuclear transfer. Yet her editorial cites "restrictions" like only using embryos "created for IVF."

Why do proponents of cloning and killing embryos continuously try to deceive us? We deserve better from our elected representatives.

Head of Van Andel Institute says, "We don't have a reason to do" embryonic stem cell research

During a recent interview with the Grand Rapids Press, David Van Andel, Chief Executive of the Van Andel Institute in Grand Rapids, was asked whether the Van Andel Institute "ever will do embryonic stem-cell research?"

His response is below. He notes one of the major problems with ever using embryonic stem cells to treat patients and mentions why that's one of the reasons recent research creating patient-specific induced pluripotent stem cell lines without killing human embryos is so important.

A: We don't have a reason to do it. I mean, everybody's trying to force this on me, and I say, why? If at some point we find that stem-cell research of any kind offers an opportunity for one of the diseases we're in, we certainly will look at it and, in some cases, probably engage in it. I don't see a reason to go down the road, because I don't have anybody tell me, 'I want to go do this.' ... One of the major obstacles in embryonic stem cells that has not gotten a lot of attention is the fact that you're using somebody else's cells to make these, and you're going to plant them in your body. There's a huge rejection issue that has to be overcome, and nobody talked about that. That's why this other discovery was so important, because it was using your cells from your body, and that rejection issue gets negated. That's a major, major deal.

LifeBeat for January 19, 2008

Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issues analysis at Focus on the Family, discusses how churches can share the prolife message. She also discusses how most Americans don't understand what Roe v. Wade actually did. You can test your Roe IQ at www.roeiqtest.com. To listen, click here.

LifeBeat for January 12, 2008

Carrie Gordon Earll, senior director of issues analysis at Focus on the Family, discusses Sanctity of Human Life Sunday, its importance and what churches can do. To listen, click here.

Critical Reading of a Jack Lessenberry editorial on stem cell research

The most recent critical reading has been posted at www.stemcellresearchcures.com.

This critical reading points out numerous errors in an editorial by Jack Lessenberry on stem cell research which was printed in the Traverse City Record-Eagle on December 23, 2007.

Among the errors Lessenberry makes are falsely claiming again that embryonic stem cell research is outlawed in Michigan, not knowing who is sponsoring legislation to legalize the killing of human embryos in research and not knowing how much money will be spent on embryonic stem cell research in California.

Toledo Blade editorial and Jack Lessenberry get stem cell facts wrong

On December 30, 2007, the Toledo Blade published a poorly researched editorial on stem cell research which made a large number of claims which were factually incorrect. The editorial was based largely on a previous editorial written by Jack Lessenberry. The following letter to the editor was submitted in response to the Blade editorial.

The Blade's December 30th editorial on stem cell research, which strongly mirrored a former editorial by Jack Lessenberry, made a number of false claims.

First, the editorial claims Michigan has a "stem-cell ban." This is a ridiculous claim as the University of Michigan has a Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research and received a large federal grant to perform embryonic stem cell research in 2003. Michigan's laws ban the killing of human embryos for research and human cloning. Researchers can and do import embryonic stem cells from other states and perform research on them in Michigan.

Second, Rep. Paul Condino isn't the primary sponsor of the legislation attempting to overturn Michigan's laws. Rep. Mark Meadows is the primary sponsor of HB 4617 and HB 4618, while Rep. Andy Meisner is the primary sponsor of HB 4616. Rep. Paul Condino isn't listed as even a co-sponsor on any of these bills.

The editorial also falsely claims Right to Life of Michigan "has convinced people that aborted fetuses would be used for such research." This statement doesn't have an ounce of truth to it. Right to Life of Michigan's website has loads of information on embryonic stem cell research and none of it claims embryonic stem cells come from aborted children. Right to Life of Michigan has also created a web site focused on stem cell research at www.stemcellresearchcures.com. Nowhere on this site will you see the claim that embryonic stem cells come from aborted fetuses.

The editorial also claims Californians voted to "tax themselves" $10 billion for embryonic stem cell research. Proposition 71, which was passed by California voters in 2004 allows $3 billion to be spent on embryonic stem cell research over 10 years and will likely cost taxpayers somewhere around $6 billion.

LifeBeat for January 5, 2008

Barbara Listing, president of Right to Life of Michigan, discusses what prolifers in Michigan should be aware of in 2008. A petition drive to legalize the cloning and killing of human embryos could begin collecting signatures in the near future. To listen, click here.

LifeBeat for December 29, 2007

Barbara Listing, president of Right to Life of Michigan, looks back at what has happened with prolife issues in Michigan over the last year. To listen, click here.

LifeBeat for December 22, 2007

Michelle Burke, field representative for Right to Life of Michigan, shares about the March for Life and bus trips leaving Michigan for this annual event in January. To listen, click here.

LifeBeat for December 15, 2007

Wesley Smith talks again about human cloning and the hubris of some scientists who believe they have a right to cloning. He also discusses what happens when society begins down the slippery slope on bio-ethical issues. To listen, click here.

Critical Reading on Stem Cell Research

At StemCellResearchCures.com, we've started a new series which will provide commentary on recent news articles on stem cell research. We've also posted a critical reading which allows visitors to read what Michigan's laws against human cloning and killing human embryos for research actually say.

Critical Reading #1 discusses an article entitled "More travel overseas for stem cell therapy" which was published in the Detroit News on November 29, 2007.

Critical Reading #2 provides links to Michigan's legislation on human cloning and killing human embryos for research and provides a brief explanation of these laws.

Critical Reading #3 reviews an article entitled "Stem cell discovery might help state life-sci industry" which was published in the Ann Arbor Business Review on December 6, 2007.

Tags: stem cell research, human cloning, michigan

LifeBeat for December 8, 2007

Wesley Smith again discusses human cloning for research and the dangers of a society which doesn't recognize the intrinsic value of human life. To listen, click here.

Tags: human cloning, stem cell research, wesley smith

Life Facts - From Mice to Men ... within 6 months

First the famous "mouse study" made headlines last June, with Prof. Shinya Yamanaka from Japan, who successfully reprogrammed mouse skin cells back to an embryonic state. As little as 6 months later, this procedure has been duplicated in humans! This new method known as direct reprogramming, produces iPS (induced pluripotent state) cells all without harming, cloning or destroying embryos. James Thomson from the University of Wisconsin and Shinya Yamanaka from Kyoto University in Japan are responsible for this unquestionable huge advancement. Consequentially, Prof. Ian Wilmut, the scientist who cloned Dolly the sheep, has announced that he has halted cloning experiments using somatic cell nuclear transfer (SCNT) stating, "this [direct reprogramming method] is the future of stem cell research." Science itself is putting to rest the controversial stem cell debate. Researchers can now venture full speed ahead, with support from all sides, to find cures without delay.

James Thomson, the first to isolate human embryonic stem cells in 1998, said it best, "Isn't it great to start a field and then to end it?" These leading scientists have come full circle, admitting there is no future in embryonic stem cell research.

Read the articles linked below in their entirety:

Dolly Creator Prof. Ian Wilmut Shuns Cloning

New Stem Cell Method Could Ease Ethical Concerns

Man who helped start stem cell war may end it

LifeBeat for December 1, 2007

Wesley Smith again discusses human cloning and the difficulties researchers have obtaining human eggs. He also talks about how obtaining human eggs can endanger the health of women. To listen, click here.

Tags: human cloning, stem cell, wesley smith

Stem cell letter to the Michigan Daily

The following letter was submitted to the Michigan Daily in response to a recent editorial on stem cell research.

In a recent editorial, the Michigan Daily claims opponents of killing human embryos for research are "running out of reasons." Sadly, this editorial never explained what Michigan's "draconian laws" are nor did it explain how these laws were hurting Michigan. It claims Michigan is falling behind in stem cell research and then provides no evidence for this claim.

The editorial asserts "there is no chance" that human embryos "destroyed" for their stem cells "would otherwise be allowed to mature into actual human beings." Besides incorrectly assuming human embryos aren't "actual" human beings, this statement ignores the growing number of human embryos who have been adopted by couples struggling with infertility. One such former embryo named Frank Geisen recently appeared with his parents who testified against changing Michigan's laws.

The editorial also inaccurately claims embryonic stem cells "are the most readily available, flexible and understood choice." Embryonic stem cells are not more readily available or understood than adult stem cells which are in every single one of our bodies and are currently being used to treat patients. Recent research into creating pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming skin cells (which are quite easy to obtain) shows those reprogrammed cells are just as flexible as embryonic stem cells.

The editorial is correct about one thing: the tide on this issue is turning. It's turning sharply away from those who think killing human embryos is the answer. Recently, voters in New Jersey turned down an effort to spend $450 million on embryonic stem cell research. On November 20, two sets of researchers revealed they created pluripotent stem cells by reprogramming adult cells. Pluripotency is the asset in embryonic stem cells which some researchers crave. Now researchers have a simple, ethical way of obtaining patient-specific pluripotent stem cells from patients without killing human embryos.

Tags: stem cell research, michigan daily

Michigan abortionist Alberto Hodari says doctors have a "license to lie"

The Medical Students for Choice group at Wayne State University invited abortionist Alberto Hodari to speak to their group on November 9, 2007. Prolife students associated with Students for Life of America attended the event and videotaped Hodari's speech. They've posted the majority of the speech online and have also posted a short part of the speech on their website where Hodari says that doctors have a "license to lie" because patients "are more educated between CNN and the internet." He says doctors have a license to lie after explaining how he lies to prevent the boyfriends of women having abortions from being in the room during the abortion. Hodari explained that he says "the state says no" even though he knows there is no state regulation to prevent boyfriends from being in the room with their girlfriend during an abortion.

Students for Life of America also supplied Right to Life of Michigan with a transcript of Hodari's speech which they created.

Besides the numerous faulty statistical claims throughout the rambling, unstructured speech, Hodari noted that he performs abortions on women who are 20 weeks pregnant and their reason for abortion is because their boyfriend left them, he has performed 11 abortions on one woman who continually comes back to his clinic for abortions, says he doesn't wear a mask while performing abortions, washes his hands for less than a minute before performing an abortion and is proud he performs abortions.

Throughout the speech, Hodari continually discussed how rare abortion complications supposedly are. It should be noted that in 2004, a 15-year-old girl from Detroit named Tamiia Russell died after having an abortion at Hodari's Womancare abortion clinic in Southfield. Russell's death from abortion complications was never reported to the Michigan Department of Community Health and Hodari never mentioned Tamiia Russell during his speech.

Tags: alberto hodari, wayne state, abortion, michigan, tamiia russell

Stem Cell Advance Makes Michigan Cloning Legislation Irrelevant

In light of new developments in adult stem cell research announced from two continents, proposed Michigan legislation to advance embryonic stem cell research through cloning has become irrelevant.

Recently, the Michigan House Judiciary Committee held a hearing on bills that would overturn Michigan laws which prohibit the killing of human embryos for research. The central bill in the package, H.B. 4616, sponsored by Representative Andy Meisner, would also allow researchers to kill cloned human embryos for research.

Researchers from Japan and Wisconsin reported today that human skin cells have been reprogrammed to act like embryonic stem cells. This historic announcement ends the need to extract stem cells from human embryos or the need to clone human embryos for cells. The need for killing unique human embryos for research is over.

Right to Life of Michigan Legislative Director Ed Rivet said, "The days of killing embryos to harvest stem cells is over. It's time to put this unethical research and this irrelevant legislation on the scrap heap of history. We're ecstatic that the focus of research will now be on stem cell techniques that will bring breakthrough cures as quickly as possible."

Tags: human cloning, stem cell, michigan, legislation

LifeBeat for November 24, 2007

Wesley Smith talks about human cloning and attempts by researchers in Britain to create cloned human embryos using eggs from animals. Some researchers want to use animal eggs in attempts to created cloned human embryos because human eggs are difficult to obtain. To listen, click here.

LifeBeat for November 17, 2007

Deb Peters, director of embryo services at Bethany Christian Services, discusses embryo adoption. Human embryos who have been frozen at in-vitro fertilization clinics can be adopted by couples looking to adopt. To listen, click here.

Tags: embryo adoption

LifeBeat for November 10, 2007

Kris Faasse, director of adoption services at Bethany Christian Services, talks about the process of adoption and what services her organization provides to women looking to place a child for adoption and couples looking to adopt. To listen, click here.

Tags: adoption, bethany christian services

Jack Lessenberry giving false information on stem cells to his listeners

Jack Lessenberry, a newspaper columnist and journalist who has a radio program on Michigan Radio, recently used his radio program to attack Right to Life of Michigan and Michigan's laws which prevent human cloning and the killing of human embryos for research.

In his essay, which he read on the radio, Lessenberry makes a number of false claims, including numerous false claims about Michigan's laws. He writes, "we can't do (embryonic stem cell research) at all in Michigan," "we have outlawed it totally," and wonders what could happen if "the University of Michigan's medical school were free to work on stem cell research."

Below is the text of a message I left on Lessenberry's blog pointing him to numerous web pages which clearly show that embryonic stem cell research is not illegal in Michigan and has been going on for a number of years.

The University of Michigan is "free to work on stem cell research."

Researchers at the University of Michigan are working on human embryonic stem cells right now and have been doing so for a number of years. They even received a 3-year federal grant for more than $2 million dollars (around $750,000 a year for 3 years) for this research in 2003.

The University of Michigan has a policy statement on which human embryonic stem cells they use.

The University also has a question and answer on embryonic stem cell research which notes:

"What kinds of human embryonic stem cells can be used in U-M research?

U-M research studies funded by the National Institutes of Health or other federal funding agencies are restricted to existing stem cell lines, created before August 9, 2001, and listed on the NIH Human Embryonic Stem Cell Registry. Privately funded U-M research studies can be conducted with new cell lines not listed in the NIH registry, as long as they meet the conditions outlined in the university's official policy statement..."

The University of Michigan even has a Michigan Center for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

So it seems that the University of Michigan is "free to work on stem cell research" and has been doing so for quite some time. What they're preventing from doing is killing human embryos for research or attempting to create cloned human embryos through somatic cell nuclear transfer. Why does Jack Lessenberry act like Michigan law prevents researchers from using embryonic stem cells when it is clear as can be that they do use embryonic stem cells?

Unfortunately, numerous journalists in Michigan have failed to properly research what is legal and illegal in Michigan and have too often been misled by proponents of cloning and killing human embryos.

Tags: michigan, embryonic stem cell, jack lessenberry

Letter to the Grand Rapids Press

On November 3, 2007, the Grand Rapids Press printed the following letter in response to a Press story on stem cell research and a possible ballot proposal to overturn some of Michigan's prolife laws.

The Oct. 28 Press featured an article on embryonic stem cell research, Michigan's prolife laws and economic growth ("Money vs. morality"). While I believe it was fair in letting both sides air their views, a few items should be addressed.

Cloning is not "the transplant of DNA from an individual into an embryo." Human cloning is an attempt to create a cloned human embryo using a technique called somatic cell nuclear transfer where the nucleus of an individual's cell is removed and placed into an egg whose nucleus has been removed. This is the same technique used to create Dolly the sheep. Some researchers hope to create cloned human embryos and then kill them for their stem cells. They euphemistically call this "therapeutic cloning."

Sean Morrison, director of the U-M Center for Stem Cell Biology and one of the founders of OncoMed Pharmaceuticals, seems to insinuate that Michigan's law preventing human cloning and the killing of human embryos for research played a role in OncoMed's moving to California. OncoMed's Web site doesn't indicate their research involves killing human embryos or human cloning but rather trying to find ways to kill certain stem cells in adults which lead to cancer. This type of research isn't illegal in Michigan. It seems the more likely reason why OncoMed's investors wanted to move to California was because all of their investors are either based in California or have offices there.