X-Message-Number: 19030
From: 
Date: Tue, 7 May 2002 23:32:36 EDT
Subject: Therapeutic Cloning Petition...

CryoNet:

www.franklinsociety.org

I would suggest and recommend that everyone here on the CryoNet seriously 
consider signing this petition. (I will likely also fax a few letters 
tomorrow -- which is real easy and cheap to do via a URL to follow in this 
post.) I have been looking into the proposed bill a good bit over the last 
few days, and I completely agree with the text of this document.

I wrote-up the following as a post for an online forum just now for some 
fellow real estate appraisers across the USA, and decided to included it here 
as well.

________________________________

Appraisers:

I have signed the following online petition to Prevent the Congressional Ban 
of Therapeutic Cloning. It has nothing to do with cloning humans by any 
means. This proposed legislation means more to most Americans than they could 
possibly know. Your and your children's very future is being decided right 
now. However, if you have full faith in Jessie Helms, and particularly as 
your family's medical advisor, you need read no further. 

If not, it would make sense to read this full post, but the petition itself 
can be found here: www.franklinsociety.org 

There is not much time at all as the petition will be presented to Congress 
in the next few days, and it is going to be a close one (already passed the 
Senate -- which is not good news). I am late to hear about it myself, and 
then took a couple of days to investigate (while not knowing about the time 
urgency at that time) as I intended to recommend that others also 
participate. Yes, it means a whole lot to all of us. Supporters of the bill 
(i.e., Brownback-Landrieu bill, S. 1899) are badly misdirected, and appear 
happy to mislead. Again, the issues have nothing at all to do with the 
cloning of humans -- that is already against the law in the US. With 
therapeutic cloning, when you need a new heart or kidney in 20 years from 
now, you will not be waiting on a transplant, you will have a duplicate made 
for you from your own cells. It is happening. The passage of this bill will 
stop it in this country.

After signing the petition, I received additional information in the form of 
an email with an attached downloadable file. The only way for me to get this 
file in your hands was to post it on the Web, so that is what I have done 
just now on a website of mine. It is concise and provides the major arguments 
for opposing the bill. Clicking the following hyperlink will take you right 
to this info: www.boardwatch.org/ActionAlert.htm . The Franklin Society 
website is also a good source, but that site is extensive and it is easy to 
get lost for hours with all the links including articles, testimony and other 
documentation. 

Upon signing, be forewarned, however: 
You will probably not be getting your invitation to Jessie's Christmas party 
this year. (On the other hand, since he is retiring this term, probably not 
too much lost.) 

Note on Mechanics of Signing: 
A question that I initially had was whether one's text in the "comments" 
section would appear on the petition? You will know what I am speaking of 
when you get there. The answer to this question is: No, it does not. I tested 
it. It is a place for your thoughts to the website organization. I understand 
many signers just leave it blank. 

This is history in the making in a way. This is a very small list.  Currently 
less than 1,500 signers as it got started very late. My bet is those who sign 
will be proud to say they did in the not-so-distant future. Also, take a look 
at the people who have already signed --recognize anybody there? 

Regards, 

David C. Johnson, Raleigh (appraiser & biologist) 



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