Missouri Voters Warned Against Deceptive 'Stem Cell' Amendment
by Jim Brown
October 23, 2006
(AgapePress) - - As voters in the "Show Me State" head to the polls in a few weeks, they will have a chance to vote on a ballot initiative known as Amendment 2 or the "Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative." However, a life sciences expert with the Washington, DC-based Family Research Council (FRC) is warning citizens that the proposal has nothing to do with stem-cell research.Dr. David Prentiss is the FRC's senior fellow for life sciences and a former adjunct professor of medical and molecular genetics at the Indiana University School of Medicine. He is cautioning Missouri voters not to be deceived by Amendment 2 and believes many, including even some pro-lifers, may be unaware of what is included in the 2,100-word ballot initiative.
This supposed stem-cell research amendment, if passed, "would enshrine in the Missouri Constitution the right for scientists to do human cloning," Prentiss says. That is, he explains, it would allow researchers "to create human embryos by the cloning process, which is somatic cell nuclear transfer -- and then require them to destroy those human embryos by the time they're about 14 days old."
The pro-family science scholar says the Missouri initiative would also erect a firewall so that the legislature and governor could not go back and change the amendment and could not do anything to "discourage human cloning in Missouri." He notes that the measure is being well funded by the biotech industry, and in particular, Jim and Virginia Stowers of the Stowers Institute in Kansas City.
"The Stowers Institute is doing all types of research; but apparently, they would like to do human cloning research," Prentiss observes. "And you also have to wonder, when you look at the amount of money they have spent -- $28 million to try and, in a sense, buy a constitutional amendment in Missouri," he says.
This begs the question of what these cloning proponents hope to gain, the FRC official notes. "I think the assumption would be safe to say they hope to gain a lot more money back on their $28 million investment," he asserts. Also, he points out, Amendment 2 would provide special protections for the biotech industry that the Stowers Institute and others would undoubtedly like to see in place.
While the "Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative" purports to be about stem-cell research, Prentiss feels its real objective is to make human cloning for research a constitutional right throughout Missouri. He and the Family Research Council are warning voters that, if passed, Amendment 2 will force state and local governments across the state to provide taxpayer dollars for human cloning.
Jim Brown, a regular contributor to AgapePress, is a reporter for American Family Radio News, which can be heard online.
