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Citizens in Missouri will be voting November 7 to decide whether to amend the state’s constitution for medical reasons.
The vote in Missouri may have national implications regarding the future of stem cell research and its implications. Both sides of the issue have launched aggressive media campaigns regarding the issue, and politicians are choosing sides.
The question becomes what exactly does the amendment allow and disallow.
The specific wording of the ballot questions is, "Shall the Missouri Constitution be amended to allow and set limitations on stem cell research, therapies, and cures which will:
• ensure Missouri patients have access to any therapies and cures, and allow Missouri researchers to conduct any research, permitted under federal law;
• ban human cloning or attempted cloning;
• require expert medical and public oversight and annual reports on the nature and purpose of stem cell research;
• impose criminal and civil penalties for any violations; and
• prohibit state or local governments from preventing or discouraging lawful stem cell research, therapies and cures?"
Opponents claim that the amendment will allow biotech companies to promote human cloning in the name of research. One organization, Missourians Against Human Cloning, has a web-site and radio ads claiming that the language of the amendment is sufficiently vague as to allow cloning if corporations justify it as research.
Other opponents claim that the amendment is vague as to whether it is in support of stem cell research or not. Still others view the amendment as acquiescing the state’s responsibility to the federal government by saying Missouri researchers would be allowed “to conduct any research permitted by federal law.”
Proponents, led by the Missouri Coalition for Lifesaving Cures, claim that the amendment is needed to make sure that politicians don’t take any action to prevent Missouri residents from accessing medical research completed with stem cells that results in new medical treatments.
The ads for the coalition feature doctors and prominent medical researchers discussing the types of diseases that scientists hope might be cured or at least treated due to stem-cell research. Specific diseases touted as targets for stem cell research include diabetes, Lou
Gehrig’s disease (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS), Parkinson’s disease, cancer, sickle cell disease and many others.
The coalition has enlisted the support of former Senator and Epicopalian Minister John Danforth as well.
In a statement released by the coalition, Danforth said, “I'm pro-life. During my entire career, I voted pro-life. I strongly support the Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative because it will save lives and because it respects the sanctity of life."
The issue has many complex sides that are side-stepped or addressed only by vagaries in the advertising. Danforth mentioned his anti-abortion stance, but did not discuss why that was pertinent to the amendment. The amendment does not limit the manner in which stem cells for research may be obtained.
Anti-abortion foes have at other times opposed stem cell research because stem cells can be obtained through aborted fetuses. The amendment does not address that issue.
Both sides also have made an issue of the discussion of human cloning. Opponents claim that the bill will allow or possibly even force government funding of human cloning. Proponents say the language of the amendment specifically forbids human cloning.
The amendment is a designed to define the state’s approach to a national issue aand will be decided Nov. 7.





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Many people argue that taking embryonic cells, even from a placenta, is morally wrong because it is killing a "child". But, in all honesty we need to ask ourselves: is an embryonic cell really a fetus? It's hard to think so. While life may begin at conception, life at that point is not far enough along in development to consider it a baby.

On the flip side, stem cell research stands to help thousands of people who are suffering from disease and disability. From genetic disorders to spinal injuries, it promises to bring hope into the lives of those who are struggling to get through each day.

We need to acquire some logic here. How is stem cell research going to kill a fetus that does not have a neurological system, a brain, any organs, a circulatory system? How is this a fetus? The stem cell is probably no bigger than a skin cell. Is a skin cell a fetus? No, of course not. It has life, true. But, does that make it a baby? No.

This topic has become a powerful argument over time and probably will continue to cause heated debates in the future. But, can we really deprive thousands of people from a cure to their devastating ailments because we want to play a game with semantics? A fetus without a brain or any other organs is really not a fetus, afterall. And, it is mighty selfish for the world to sit by and let a war of words hinder the health of living, breathing human beings whose only hope for a normal life is in the hands of stem cell research.




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Allergy Relief

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You know how hard it is when a family pet goes missing, and then actually stays lost. There is the moment when you have to explain what's going on to the children, the part where you have to paste signs across the neighborhood, and the worst element - the waiting for your beloved bed to hopefully find its way back home. But now something even worse is happening as these 'lost pets' are being picked up and sold to universities for dissection and medical research in its science labs.

It's bad enough to tell your children that Sparky is lost, but it'd be much worse to tell them that Sparky is being dissected by the college students downtown. The Humane Society estimated that about 18,000 dogs and cats are picked up each year and then sold to university laboratories. Some of these animals are found through classified 'looking for a good home' adoption listings, and some are lost pets.

Those who scoop up the stray animals and sell them to labs are called Class B Dealers, and it is estimated that there are fewer of them around today than in the past, but they are still around. These Class B Dealers scour the streets of neighborhoods looking for dogs and cats that may have become lost from their homes. They also search the classified ads for animals that have been listed for adoption. The Humane Society estimates that 20% of all animals that are used in medical research labs come from these Class B Dealers

Animal advocacy groups are now hoping that it will be made illegal to sell strays for scientific purposes. However on the other side of the coin, medical research labs are arguing that animals that come from unknown origins are not used in their testings. Animal advocacy leaders are hoping that a change will be imminent. They believe that only animals that are donated by their owners, are not strays, or are living in a shelter should be given over to medical research labs.

Right now the bill, entitled 'Buck's Bill' after a black hound dog who was mistreated by a Class B Dealer, is still up for debate in Congress. Many people treat their pets as part of the family, almost as if they're just another relative. It is heart wrenching when a pet becomes lost, but at least if Buck's Bill were passed it would be a much less likely scenario that the cherished pet would end up in a medical laboratory.

Associated Press, " Humane Society Pushes to Ban Pet Sales to Labs." MSNBC News. URL: (http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/18662520/)




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In today's society - where high-calorie foods and lack of exercise contribute to our expanding waistlines - many people turn to fad diets and unregulated supplements in an effort to drop excess weight and slide into a pair of skinny jeans. But science and experts have repeatedly informed us that these fad solutions aren't the smartest or best way to lose the flab.

So it's refreshing to visit www.RefrigeratorRaid.com, run by an anonymous blogger with the name of Midnight Raider, since it mixes weight loss and health news with practical advice and tips. You might find an article about making time for exercise in even the busiest schedules, or adding more vegetables to your daily diet. But you won't find any articles that promote fad supplements or diet pills.

Midnight Raider graciously agreed to an interview.

Morgan Vermeil: Thank you for taking the time for this interview. I'm curious: Why "Midnight Raider"?

Midnight Raider: My identity and the name of my blog are linked. I'm Midnight Raider because I often raid the refrigerator for a midnight snack.

Vermeil: You raid the refrigerator at midnight? How do you stay so lean?

Midnight: I make healthy choices, which is the same type of lifestyle I try to promote on my blog. Rather than eating cookies and brownies for a midnight snack, I choose things like fresh veggies, hummus and pita, or even a bowl of whole grain cereal.

Vermeil: According to your "About Me" section of your blog, you used to be heavier. "Jiggle" was the word you used to describe your body. So what was your secret for losing the weight?

Midnight: No secret. It's all about healthy diet, moderating portions and exercising more. I know it's not as exciting and glamorous as those fad diets or pills that promise you'll lose thirty pounds in a week. But if you're looking for weight loss that will stay off, you need to lose it the smart way. You need to make a lifestyle change, not just a temporary diet change.

Vermeil: So do you practice what you preach? Tell us about your exercise routine.

Midnight: I get some type of exercise five or six days a week. Typically I run, lift weights, or do some martial arts drills. I mix it up, of course. Some days I do yoga, other days I jump on the elliptical machine. But I usually do some type of exercise for about an hour each day.

Vermeil: And what about your diet? Do you eat healthy, too?

Midnight:Well, food is my weakness, as my identity implies. But I try to eat as healthy as possible. I generally have five or six mini-meals a day instead of three big ones. I stick mostly with whole grains, veggies and lean protein sources like tofu. A typical breakfast for me would be plain oatmeal, fresh fruit and some walnuts. A typical dinner would be stir-fried broccoli, carrots and tofu served over some brown rice.

Vermeil: Wow! That's really healthy. Seems impossible to maintain.

Midnight: It is. Although I don't like to call them "cheat" meals, there are plenty of occasions when I eat whatever I want. Pizza, pasta, mashed potatoes, homemade biscuits… I have a weakness for white, starchy foods! I never deprive myself. If I want it, I eat it. I just eat a small portion. A good diet is all about balance and moderation. If you crave a piece of chocolate, you should have it. Just pay attention to your body so you eat just enough to satisfy your physical craving, rather than overeating to satisfy an emotional need.

Vermeil: RefrigeratorRaid.com is a fairly new blog, yet you seem entirely devoted to it. You even update on weekends! What made you decide to start this blog, and why are you so dedicated?

Midnight: After I lost a few pounds and starting getting healthier, friends and family began asking for advice. Most of them were stuck on the ideas of fads or misguided information. They'd read headlines in the newspaper and think it was all truth. For example, not long ago there was a big study where the headlines said something like, "Low fat diet doesn't protect against cancer." And everyone around me was talking about it as if it were the gospel truth.

Vermeil: And it wasn't?

Midnight: No! Aside from the fact that this was only one study, many of the newspapers failed to report on a lot of the limitations of the research. The subject group consisted only of older women. None of the subjects actually stuck to their "low fat" diet. It was actually more of a "moderate fat" diet.

Vermeil: What does that mean?

Midnight: It means the newspapers were looking to write exciting headlines rather than really inform the public. When friends and family started talking to me about diet and fitness, I could tell they didn't really understand some of the things they'd been reading. And I know many people are confused by the conflicting health information they read in the newspaper and in magazines. So I thought a blog that discussed current health news - paired with practical advice - would help offer some guidance.

Vermeil: How do you decide what to write about each day?

Midnight: I pick the current news articles that I think will be most useful to my visitors.

Vermeil: If your blog accomplishes just one thing, what do you hope it will be?

Midnight: Changing people's lives. Not a small task, right? But living healthy - whether it's by losing weight, or getting fit, or eating more nutritious foods - can make a difference in all aspects of our lives. It gives us more energy and more confidence. It allows us to be more effective in our careers, our relationships and our hobbies. We feel better about our lives because we're taking better care of our health. And something like that is really priceless.

Vermeil: Any plans for RefrigeratorRaid.com's future?

Midnight: It's just a baby right now - not even a toddler yet in "blog years." I'm dedicated to providing useful information to my readers. For now, that's my main focus.



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