How low can stem cell ads go?
Posted by Marcy Darnovsky October 26, 2006
Biopolitical Times
This week’s stem cell ads reach new lows of emotional manipulation in an already degraded debate. And with the help of YouTube, they’re reaching stratospheric new heights in political influence.
We’ve moved on from Fox and counter-Fox, wherein Rush Limbaugh demonstrates that “big idiot” is far too kind.
Now we have top-level Democrats demonstrating their skill in cheap emotional blackmail. The take-home sentiment of a new ad by Majority Action, a Democratic 527, is that the Stem Cell Saviors will cure us all. And anyone who doubts that may as well have the blood of that sweet little six-year-old on their hands. This ad should be as embarrassing to those of us who support embryonic stem cell research as Limbaugh’s antics should be to its opponents.
Meanwhile opponents of embryonic stem cell research are asking us to believe that they stay awake worrying about the well-being of women who may provide eggs for research. This isn’t the first time the anti-choice crowd has tried to use legitimate concerns about egg retrieval in the service of their pro-embryo agenda.
Let’s not forget that the only law in the country on eggs for research was written by a pro-choice Democrat and supported by pro-choice groups, all of whom support embryonic stem cell research.
We’ve moved on from Fox and counter-Fox, wherein Rush Limbaugh demonstrates that “big idiot” is far too kind.
Now we have top-level Democrats demonstrating their skill in cheap emotional blackmail. The take-home sentiment of a new ad by Majority Action, a Democratic 527, is that the Stem Cell Saviors will cure us all. And anyone who doubts that may as well have the blood of that sweet little six-year-old on their hands. This ad should be as embarrassing to those of us who support embryonic stem cell research as Limbaugh’s antics should be to its opponents.
Meanwhile opponents of embryonic stem cell research are asking us to believe that they stay awake worrying about the well-being of women who may provide eggs for research. This isn’t the first time the anti-choice crowd has tried to use legitimate concerns about egg retrieval in the service of their pro-embryo agenda.
Let’s not forget that the only law in the country on eggs for research was written by a pro-choice Democrat and supported by pro-choice groups, all of whom support embryonic stem cell research.