I’m sure you’ve seen the Michael J. Fox video. He is supporting Claire McCaskill. In it, Fox accuses her opponent Senator Jim Talent of not wanting to expand stem cell research and wanting to “criminalize the science that gives us hope”. He is seen jerking uncontrollably during the video showing the effects of his Parkinson’s disease.
First I am going to say this is a very effective ad. I was moved watching it.
Even though I am a conservative person, I would like to take issue with Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity and any other conservatives attacking the ad and Michael J. Fox directly. They are arguing that the ad is deceptive, manipulative, and unfair to run it in the eleventh hour of the election. They also complain that the Democrats try to use sympathetic figures like the 9/11 widows, Cindy Sheehan, and Michael J. Fox as human shields. They are almost untouchable victims since you cannot respond to their accusations without being accused of being cold and heartless. It sounds an awful lot like sour grapes by these conservatives. This is a clever strategy by liberals, but it can be neutralized as Ann Coulter has shown.
On the Sean Hannity show today, Hannity interviewed Senator Jim Talent and was surprised that Talent wasn’t as outraged as everybody else about these “shameful” tactics. The one thing that bugs me about Hannity is that everything the left does is outrageous to him. This may actually be so, but after a while, the word loses its meaning. Not everything can be equally outrageous. What I like about Hannity is that he is the most prepared person on radio and tv. He really does his homework and has great facts to back up his opinions.
Look, all political ads are manipulative. Their intention is to manipulate, motivate, and persuade you to vote in their favor. I think any candidate would be thrilled to have have a big star like Fox in their ads. What would be more effective than attacking a sympathetic figure like Fox, would be to present the facts to counter what he says.
Facts:
1. Stem cell research is already legal. Federal funding has only been limited to existing stem cell lines. Private funding has no limitations.
2. Missouri, where Talent and McCaskill are running, has an state constitutional amendment (Amendment 2) on the ballot which allows corporations to participate in human cloning for research purposes and protects them from prosecution. This is what Senator Talent is opposed to, creating and destroying life in the name of science. He is not opposed to stem cell research.
3. Human cloning is not the only method for obtaining stem cells for research. Adult stem cells can be obtained many different ways including from umbilical cords of newborns. However, to obtain embryonic stem cells, they must be taken from 10 day old embryos, hence the desire for human cloning. Adult stem cells are already being used to treat diseases. Embryonic stem cells have not yet been proven useful in treating disease. Perhaps research may uncover a use for these cells, but this is a an ethical mess. Should one life be destroyed for the sole purpose of saving another? When does life begin? Does one life have more value than another? Who gets to decide? Would you sacrifice your life or your child’s life to save someone else who is ultimately mortal? Nobody can live forever so, in essence, we would be destroying embryos to improve the quality of somebody’s finite life. In the end, you really can’t save anybody’s life. Is this a decision worth making?
4. NOBODY is against curing Michael J. Fox, Mohammed Ali, or anyone else with Parkinson’s.
Instead of being perpetually outraged at the other side’s tactics, stick to the issues. Don’t distract the voters from what matters.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9WB_PXjTBo]
Technorati Tags Michael J. Fox, Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannnity, Jim Talent, Michael J. Fox, Ann Coulter, stem cell research, human cloning
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