Please accept my apologies for interjecting the following comments into this particular blog entry. However, I feel that these comments are important enough to warrant doing so. I didn't want to miss the opportunity to express these thoughts if a relevant blog entry was not forthcoming.

I was extremely encouraged by the headline; "Candidates Vow To Keep Politics Out Of Science," on NPR's website this morning... until I actually read the rest of the article.

Abortion and related topics such as embryonic stem cell research continue to be at the top of our country's list of most relevant issues. This is because these topics put into question fundamentally guaranteed rights expressed in our Constitution. Consequently, the resolution of these issues remains pertinent to all Americans as well as to all persons within American jurisdiction. It is extremely important to us all... that we get this right!

Regretfully, at least according to this article, both of our Presidential candidates have gotten it wrong.

If we are not to politicize science, a most worthy endeavor, then we simply have to accept what current science tells us, objectively. Since the successful mapping of the human genome in 2003, science shows us, irrefutably, without question, without regard for personal religious or philosophical beliefs, that a distinctly identifiable person, begins it's life at the moment of conception. This scientific fact cannot be stated more succinctly or more truthfully. It is extremely important that if you question this statement, as you should; conduct your own independent search for this information... it is readily available to anyone of even modest enthusiasm or intelligence.

The due process claus of the 14th Amendment clearly states that; ... nor shall any State deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deprive to any person within it's jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.

Embryonic stem cell research entails the destruction of a distinctly identifiable, living person, for the purpose of scientific research. An individual's Constitutionally guaranteed right to their life takes precedence over any scientific benefits that could possibly be gained through the forced forfeiture of their life.

Zygote, blastomere, embryo and fetus are simply designations we have assigned to the very earliest stages of human development. In this sense these terms are no different than; infant, child, adolescent, adult or geriatric, they simply designate earlier stages of human development. However, it has become fashionable to bandy these terms about in an effort to "dehumanize" these developmental stages... for political motives.

Although John McCain's position on abortion comes closest to acknowledging this relatively new scientific understanding, he clearly shows that he does not fully grasp these objective realities, exemplified in his decision to support embryonic stem cell research. Regretfully, as illustrated in his position on all related topics, including abortion, Barack Obama simply doesn't get it at all.

We cannot afford to continue to base our decisions upon 1973 science! If our goal is to truly "de-politicize" science, again, a phenomenally important endeavor, then we simply have to have the courage to accept what the science of today tells us; that all humans begin their lives at conception.

Jonhn: You and your evangelical pals don't get it. Conservatives, that which makes up the republican party no matter whom they choose to represent them in the White House, play you for fools. Abortion, stem cell research, are just the Trojan Horse to get your political support so they can continue to manipulate the economy and political structure to fatten their wallets at everyone else's expense. They don't want to pay for medical care as they don't care what happens to people, perhaps like you, who don't have medical coverage. They don't care what happens to public education because their kids go to private schools or the better schools in the high priced neighborhoods. They don't care if you have a job or don't make much money because that just enriches their corporate profits and widens the gap between the CEO and line worker. They keep asking for more tax breaks and loopholes to ensure the working class supports their greed for increasing power and wealth.

Wax on about abortion, stem cell research, the start of life if it makes you feel good. Meanwhile, the world turns, abortion will never be illegal, it will always be available for anybody who can afford one, and stem cell research will continue here or elsehwere in the world, if Heaven Allows, as it has the potential to save the same lives you so vehemently seek to protect in the womb.

Conservative values as expressed during the last eight years have only made teen and unwanted pregnancy more of a problem, due to poverty, lack of employment opportunity, inadequate education and negligible support for women who are facing the moral dillema of an abortion or the children they bare. Shame on your movement for being so blind to the conservative agenda, it only serves to hurt your causes as you are so attached to the conservative agenda and all the harm and disharmony they have caused this country.

Cal,

Your worldview is typically 180 degrees out of phase of reality. You think the democrat party has your best interests at heart, but they don’t. They want power and the quickest way of attaining this power is to get ignorant people like you dependent on them. Once that happens, you will have no choice but to vote for them so they will provide for your needs. Get off your ass (pun intended) and provide for yourself. I was not put on this earth to pull up the slack for lazy people like you. Liberals, please do us all a favor and keep utilizing abortion. Maybe Darwin had it right!

TAXES What in the world is wrong the Ob's run for pres. Has he disappeared only respond to the McCain camp's ads? Pepole do not vote for someone cause they are nice. Is he to weak to go after MCcain for not paying taxes. Afraid to do something and wait tor react. DOES he want it??? Go after him not paying taxes and the rest FALLS. TAXES are a repub. weapon. Hit him where it hurts. Who cares if investment in alternative energy happens The benifit come in 10 years. Your playing on the repub land if you stick to this theme. Get your crap together!

johncook,

The Republicans don't own the tax issue any longer. It's their burden to explain why taxes are out of control when they've been in power for the past 15 years.

They have been totally irresponsible.

My house is worth way less; but my assessment, which my taxes are based on, is double what it should be. The GOP has been in charge. It's their fault.

The Republicans spent like drunken sailors creating new federal agencies, privatizing programs so their friends could skim profits off the top, and authorized so much pork barrel spending it's outrageous beyond belief.

McCain voted 95% of the time to back these Bush economic policies.

You're right that Obama needs to publicize his own tax policy better...all Democratic candidates need to to get across the fact that we are going to finally (really) lower taxes on the middle class.

I fully expect our advertising to make it clear who will pay for the Republicans' spending binge. It will be those rich that got GOP handouts, foreign mulitinationals, and American companies which moved their headquarters overseas or outsourced American jobs.

All we have to do is remind middle class voters that McCain and the rest of the incumbent Congressional Republicans strongly support and will continue Bush's unfair tax policy that make the middle class pay more not less taxes.

If we are doing our job communicating where the problem originated, it will be just like rubbing salt in an open wound every time that rich old broad in the McCain commercial whispers her tax concerns.

Cindy sounds so sweet doesn't she?

When is she going to release her tax returns? Let's see just how much she made out like a bandit at the expense of the middle class during the last 15 years.

Why is old John and his wife being so coy?

Cal,

I appreciate your comments. However, your first sentence indicates that your argument is without objective merit. I tried to express in my message, as clearly as I could, that this argument has nothing to do with religion or person philosophical beliefs, and rightly so. The Establishment Claus of the 1st Amendment makes it inappropriate to interject religious beliefs into a Constitutionally based issue that must apply to all, equally. I'm sorry that you missed this. Some (and I don't know if this applies to you or not) do in fact understand the merits of this objective argument but none the less, attempt to invalidate it by implying that it is based upon religious belief. Again, I'm not accusing you of this but... if the shoe fits...

Typically, my argument falls on deaf ears and I take the blame for this. I learned an important lesson when I heard comments from Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State, when he said, "People really don't care about how much you know until they know about how much you care." I understand and accept this notion, yet I've had a hard time internalizing it, and fail miserably when trying to interject it into an argument. My downfall is that I assume intelligent people will understand the objective merits of an argument and accept them. However, all people have an emotional side as well. My mistake is that I fail to express how much I really do care about the plight of my fellow man.

I certainly do care, very much, about the problems faced by unwed mothers and those that have diseases who's cure may be found in embryonic stem cell research. To place these concerns however, over the right of another individual to their life, is cynical pragmatism, where the thought is; the end justifies and means. If this were so, we would still have black slaves tilling the soil in this country. It is important for you to understand that slavery existed on this continent for 200 years, and was a Constitutionally protected institution in our new country for 78 years, until the end of the Civil War.

My point is this; we, all of us, made a terrible mistake in 1973. All Americans are responsible and as a county, we can come together to rectify this mistake. It will take concessions on both sides of the political coin to do so, but we can make this happen. Most importantly, women will have to make what for them will be perceived as a huge concession, and this is well understood! The women of this country have been told for 35 years that they have the Constitutionally protected right to an abortion. The hardest thing for the women of this country to overcome is that this notion was based upon what we now know to be untrue, that human life did not begin at conception. However, I think there is some solace in this for many women who had doubts about the validity of that notion from the beginning, and now have reliable scientific information that they can depend on.

Men must be forced, through legislation, to own up to their legal responsibility as fathers, from conception! It is essential that we define legally what these responsibilities are! With these responsibilities come rights, and these rights must be clearly defined as well.

The bottom line is that women and men, together, equally, comprise humanity. Their rights and responsibilities as parents are equal as well and should be expressed so in our laws.

Nothing will ever change the special biological relationship that women have relative to the gestation and birth of their children. Men need to recognize and acknowledge this. It is extremely important however, that women realize that this unique relationship does not give them the right to end the lives of their unborn children.

Cal,

I appreciate your comments. However, your first sentence indicates that your argument is without objective merit. I tried to express in my message as clearly as I could, that this argument has nothing to do with religion or person philosophical beliefs, and rightly so. The Establishment Claus of the 1st Amendment makes it inappropriate to interject religious beliefs into a Constitutionally based issue that must apply to all, equally. I'm sorry that you missed this. Some (and I don't know if this applies to you or not) do in fact understand the merits of this argument but none the less, attempt to discredit it by implying that it is based upon religious belief. Again, I'm not accusing you of this but... if the shoe fits...

Typically, my argument falls on deaf ears and I take the blame for this. I learned an important lesson when I heard comments from Ken Blackwell, former Ohio Secretary of State, when he said, "People really don't care about how much you know until they know about how much you care." I understand and accept this notion, yet I've had a hard time internalizing it, and fail miserably when trying to interject it into an argument. My downfall is that I assume intelligent people will understand the objective merits of an argument and accept them. However, all people have an emotional side as well. My mistake is that I fail to express how much I really do care about others.

I certainly care very much about the problems faced by unwed mothers and those that have diseases who's cure could possibly have been found through embryonic stem cell research. To place these concerns over the right of another individual to their life however, is cynical pragmatism, where the end justifies any means. If this were so, we would still have black slaves tilling the soil in this country. It is important for you to understand that slavery existed on this continent for 200 years, and was a Constitutionally protected institution in our new country for 78 years, until the end of the Civil War.

My point is this; we, all of us, made a terrible mistake in 1973. All Americans are responsible and as a county, we can come together to rectify this mistake. It will take concessions on both sides of the political fence to do so, but we can make this happen.

Most importantly, women will have to make what for them will be perceived as a huge concession, and this is well understood! The women of this country have been told for 35 years that they have the Constitutionally protected right to an abortion. The hardest thing for the women of this country to overcome will be that this notion is based upon what we now know to be untrue, that human life did not begin at conception. However, I think there is some solace in this for many women who had doubts about the validity of that notion from the beginning, and now have reliable scientific information that they can depend upon.

Men must be forced, through legislation, to own up to their legal responsibility as fathers... from conception! It is essential that we define legally what these responsibilities are and force men to adhere to them! With these responsibilities also come rights, and these rights must be clearly defined as well.

The bottom line is that women and men, together, equally, comprise humanity. Their rights and responsibilities as parents are equal as well and should be expressed so in our laws.

Nothing will ever change the special biological relationship that women have relative to the gestation and birth of their children. Men need to recognize and acknowledge this. It is extremely important however, that women realize that this unique relationship does not give them the right to end the lives of their unborn children.