For those of you Nebraskans who haven't been reading the latest puff pieces in the Lincoln and Omaha newspapers in behalf of yet more embryonic stem cell research, Julie Schmit-Albin sends along the following background information. It is then followed with an action alert about a peaceful protest demonstration set for tomorrow in Lincoln in which Claire and I will be honored to be a part.
The NU Board of Regents has a policy in place that says UNMC will follow the current Federal Administration guidelines following medical research. That was fine under the Bush guidelines, which limited research to 60 past embryonic stem cell lines from 2001 and before. But now with Obama, the guidelines have been expanded to include funding for new embyronic stem cell lines created from newly destroyed embryos left to languish in labs. The pro-life position is that we want UNMC and the Board of Regents which governs UNMC to stick with current policy (LB 606 which prohibits the creation and destruction of embryos in Nebraska) and to NOT expand their research beyond the 60 stem cell lines set by the Bush policy, which UNMC has already pursued.
Our opponents at Nebraska Coalition for Lifesaving Medical Cures (not to be confused with our friends at Nebraska Coalition for Ethical Research) are bringing in a California researcher to bolster their case at the NU Board of Regents' meeting this Friday, Oct. 23rd at 1:00 p.m.. We are asking pro-lifers to show up for a peaceful, prayerful presence outside the Regents' meeting place, Varner Hall, 3835 Holdrege St., East Campus, Lincoln from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. that day. Feel free to bring your own sign reflecting the message: No To Expanded Embryo Research or baby (born and unborn) photo signs. Or you can just come to pray without a sign.
If you would like to address the Board of Regents about this issue for a minute or two, you must sign up with the Regents' secretary by noon Thursday Oct. 22nd by calling 472-3906. Please let us know if you plan to come to speak and that you have called the Board of Regents' secretary to sign up. We will ensure that you are in the line-up of pro-life speakers if you let us know you are signed up.
