Bear with, this is going to be a long one, even by my standards (have you READ my last few? 
)
There are some TV ads going around in Michigan touting the evils of Ballot Proposition 08-2 coming up for a vote this November (I will post the content of the ballot initiative under the ‘More’ link at the end of this post). To get it out in the air quickly, and get it off my chest before I see another ad, I must say this: These ads are complete, total, and utter spreading of FUD (Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt). Check the link for a ton of information about this particular tactic, but in short: FUD is the practice of spreading information about a topic in order to scare people to their side of the issue by creating feelings of uncertainty and doubt, without actually addressing the issue itself. This is EXACTLY what MiCAUSE (Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science & Experimentation) is doing, spreading pure FUD. And here is why.
Proposal 2 provides several things:
- The ability to use unneeded lab-created embryos for stem-cell research under Michigan’s existing stem-cell research restrictions. Only embryos that fall under three conditions are allowed for use:
1. They were created for the purpose of in-vitro fertilization. No other purpose is allowed.
2. They are unneeded and would otherwise be destroyed. In most cases, several embryos are created in order to pick the most viable, several are implanted, the rest are frozen and eventually discarded.
3. They are not viable, and would never be implanted. As in nature, not all lab-created embryos are viable for implantation. These are typically immediately discarded.
- A restriction on any compensation of any kind being offered to the donors. In other words: Nobody is allowed to offer or accept any type of compensation, monetary or otherwise, for their consideration of donation of embryos to research. It is simply, essentially, a second checkbox on the disposal form. Much like organ, tissue, or full-body research donation forms.
- All stem-cell research performed on embryos MUST conform to state and local laws, except for in two cases:
1. The law directly interferes with appropriate research as provided by existing constitutional provisions regarding stem-cell research in the State of Michigan. In other words: Opposition groups, such as MiCAUSE cannot come in later and pass a ballot initiative that effectively negates the provisions in this proposal. This is probably the provision that MiCAUSE has the most issue with, as it clamps the door shut on them pretty firmly.
2. No organization (or person) may offer a disincentive to donating their embryos. This ensures that insurance companies, health organizations, etc. cannot decrease benefits to someone based upon their decision to donate. This is a companion to #2 above: You may not entice someone to donate, and you may not punish someone for donating.
- If any of the above provisions are ruled unconsitutional, the remainder of the provisions will remain intact. This, again, disallows groups like MiCAUSE to cherry-pick a single point of the amendment and invalidating the entire thing.
That is quite literally the extent of it. Now, let’s have a look at some of MiCAUSE’s FUD. I’ll let you be the judge of what is truth, and what is entirely manufactured from the air (and the belief that you are, in fact, stupid).
Ad #1: Bricklayer
This ad would have you believe that there will be large additional costs to allowing the use of to-be-discarded embryos. Now, click the ‘More’ link and read through the text. Is there anything in there that has anything to do with adding research dollars, creating tax havens for research institutions, or anything at all? That’s right, it’s not there. If you listen carefully, the ad speaks to tax burdens that occurred in other states due to the specific laws passed in those states. Those state laws have NOTHING to do with the Proposal 2 initatives at all.
What MiCAUSE is playing on are the economic woes of Michigan. I’ll be the first to admit, we’re in a bad place right now. The economy is failing, jobs are being lost left and right. We’re fighting to bring more industry in, but it’s not coming nearly fast enough to match pace with the losses. By bringing the fear of increased taxes, MiCAUSE attempts to play on the fear that more businesses will leave the state, taking with them more jobs, and leaving more heartache.
Ad #2: In The Wrong Hands
This is the ad that REALLY caught my eye, and raised my ire. There is so much concentrated FUD here, as well as absolute ridiculousness that it’s actually sad to me to see someone stoop so low to attempt to bring people into their camp.
The ad simply scans across business marquees (all CGI, of course) while it talks about how the proposal will allow ‘profit-driven companies’ to get into the research game. For your entertainment, I have extracted some of the names of these ‘companies’ that they use in a blatant attempt to associate Proposal 2 with practices that are, strangely enough, specifically prohibited by Proposal 2:
- Human Harvest
- Cloneway
- Human Double, Inc.
I think you would find it hard to come across anyone, in Michigan or otherwise, who would be for the creation of human clones, particularly for research. Yet, this ad firmly attempts to plant these thoughts in the minds of voters. The ad clearly uses cloning when the proposal clearly provides no provisions for cloning, or the creation of anything at all, for that matter. The ad also provides a quote from a CNN Money article that states “Scientists say egg shortage threatens stem cell research, seek ways to pay for eggs”. Again, Proposal 2 specifically prohibits the ability to offer any compensation of any kind. Additionally, Proposal 2 has nothing to do with eggs, but embryos that have already been created for a specific purpose.
This ad is unconscionable. Not only in the idea that it treats every single one of its viewers as a complete and total idiot, which is insulting, but that it takes a very minimal set of facts and manufactures a doomsday scenario that is already provided for in the existing language. In short MiCAUSE is lying to your face without saying anything untrue.
Ad #3: Teacher’s Pet
This ad takes data gathered completely out of context and attempts to apply it to the current proposal. It attempts to say that Proposal 2 will allow for the creation of human-animal hybrids, and even goes so far as to say that, by allowing Proposal 2, we will eventually have part human part animal things walking around in the streets.
This is not only scientifically impossible, but completely, utterly, and downright comically ridiculous. The research that the ad points to has, for one, already been in place for several years. The idea being that if we can create (primarily, though other animals have been researched) pigs that share some genetic code, particularly in the areas of immunity, with humans, we could potentially use pigs and other animals as growth farms for organs. Rather than having to wait for someone to die, a patient that needs a heart could have a heart taken from one of these pigs, and significantly reduce the risk of rejection, as well as the risk of dying while waiting for a viable match.
So, to quickly refute the points of all three of these ads:
- Proposal 2 WILL NOT create an additional tax burden on Michigan residents.
- Proposal 2 WILL NOT create a market for human clones, or require any institution to begin paying for research subjects. In fact, Proposal 2 specifically prohibits it.
- Proposal 2 WILL NOT facilitate the possibility of part human, part animal hybrids to be created. Anything that has been done in the past will be completely unaffected.
Finally:
Please, please do not take what I have stated here at face value. Do your own research, and come to your own conclusions. I post this to make sure that people understand that they simply cannot believe everything they see on TV, or are told by action groups with a singular purpose. You must look at both sides of an issue. This is what I have done, and that is why I post this here.
Read more…