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TechnoratiFor at least the four in ten Americans who are not familiar with stem cell research, the conservative Family Research Council offered a clarification Wednesday to comments made by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi regarding the divisive issue.
At the unveiling of a statue of former President Ronald Reagan on Capitol Hill, Pelosi took a moment to honor Reagan’s widow, former first lady Nancy Reagan, who in recent years has been frequently noted for her active support of embryonic stem cell research.
Since 2004, Reagan has favored what many consider to be the Democratic Party's position, and urged then President George W. Bush to support federally funded embryonic stem cell research in the hope that this science could lead to a cure for Alzheimer's disease, which her husband had suffered for nearly a decade from until his death in June 2004.
In March, Reagan was among those who praised President Barack Obama for reversing Bush's ban on federally-funded embryonic stem cell research though the White House failed to invite her to the bill-signing ceremony.
"Mrs. Reagan, with your presence here today, I hope you know that we honor you. Not only for your support of the President (Ronald Reagan), but for turning that support and love into action,” Pelosi said during Wednesday’s statue unveiling.
“Your support for stem cell research has made a significant difference in the lives of many American people,” she added. “It has saved lives, it has found cures, it has given hope to people.”
Shortly after Pelosi’s remarks were made, the Family Research Council issued a statement claiming that Pelosi “got her facts all wrong, misleading people again, this time with her statements on stem cells.”
"Adult stem cell research has indeed saved thousands of lives, produced cures, and benefited and given hope to many. But embryonic stem cell research, which Speaker Pelosi has promoted, has not helped a single human being, has produced no cures or treatments, has led to the destruction of countless vulnerable human embryos, and is most noted for giving tumors to lab rats,” FRC president Tony Perkins clarified.
"Speaker Pelosi, please get your facts straight, put politics aside, and push for real help for people through adult stem cells," he added after chastising her for “injecting divisive politics” into her speech.
According to a poll released last year by the polling company, inc., only 17 percent of Americans say they are “very familiar” with stem cell research while 41 are either “a little bit familiar” or “not at all familiar.” Roughly 42 percent say they are “somewhat familiar.”
And while 69 percent of Americans said they support stem cell research, when asked specifically if they support both adult and embryonic stem cell research, only 45 percent said they do. And that’s without being told of the successes of stem cell research that don’t involve embryos or of the failures of embryonic stem cell research to date.
“What most people are unaware of is that there are three types of stem cell research: there is embryonic stem cell research (ESC), there is induced pluripotent (IPSC) research, and adult stem cell research (ASC),” noted Michael Reagan, the adopted son of the late Ronald Reagan and his first wife, Jane Wyman. Continue »
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