Members of the Michigan Citizens Against Unrestricted Science and Experimentation believe the proposal is deceptive and was drafted to intentionally mislead voters.

Currently, excess embryos from procedures like in-vitro fertilization are discarded as medical waste. If the proposal is passed, it will give people the choice of donating those embryos to stem cell research. The proposal might also open doors for the experimentation of human cloning.

If supporters of this measure want it to have any chance of passing, they must first educate people on the facts about stem cell research. A lot of people are in the dark about the subject and they might not vote in favor of it if they don’t fully understand what stem cell research involves.

Many people might not even know where stem cells come from. They hear those words and automatically associate it with abortion because, in some cases, human embryos have to be destroyed to harvest the cells.

The cause might be helped if people knew that stem cells can also be harvested from umbilical cord blood, the placenta and from the lining of some adult tissues.

In cases such as in-vitro fertilization, those embryos would be thrown away if not used in the procedure; so why not create something good out of a bad situation by donating the embryos for research?

Stem cell research has the potential to cure debilitating diseases, such as Lou Gehrig’s and Parkinson’s. It might even be used to treat diabetes and heart disease. The people who have the most influence to educate and get support for this proposal are those suffering from these conditions. They know firsthand the challenges that come with living with such degenerative diseases, and maybe their stories will give people a better understanding of why stem cell research is needed.

If this proposal is passed, some provisions definitely need to be made to the bill. For one, cloning should be prohibited. Stem cells shouldn’t be used to create new life but to save existing lives. There should also be restrictions against creating and aborting embryos for the sole purpose of obtaining stem cells.

People need to set their religious agendas aside and realize that this research is for the advancement of the human race. If stem cell research is a question of morality, ask yourself this question: Is it moral to continue to let people suffer from painful and debilitating diseases if they can be helped from stem cell research?