I found this one hard to watch.

[plonq]

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Via: VideoSift

Comments

[pierrekrahn.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is hard to watch. I haven't him on the screen in a long time. Things have really changed.

[amarafox.livejournal.com]

That gave me chills.

[dewhitton.livejournal.com]

That is hard to watch, espcially when you know stem cell research will help him and many others, and people want to stop it.

geez, the bloke is younger than me.

[skorzy.livejournal.com]

That's actually how he is on a good day. Some of his recent voice messages I've heard had him stuttering, slurring words and having a difficult time pronunciating words. At least his mind is still functional, and .. he's still active in promoting something that is right.

My views on stem cell research have been pretty obvious for years... and now I'm happy I'm living in a state that has bipartisan support for it, and the population has put its money where its mouth is on the matter. I'm also fortunate to be working at a University where its a focus of biomedical research, and will be professionally involved with this research in the next several months.

[mwalimu.livejournal.com]

I too would like to see stem cell research proceed, but I also concur to a degree with some of the objections that the pro-life camp has raised. I've been quite pleased to hear of some recent discoveries on viable sources of stem cells that the pro-lifers should not find objectionable.

[elynne.livejournal.com]

From what I understand, the vast majority of stem cells used for research come from "unused" (in the sense of having been rejected by the host) or unneeded (in the sense of having been prepared for use, but a successful use preceeded them) fertility treatments. e.g., a couple can't get pregnant by normal means; goes to a fertility center, donate sperm and eggs; fertility techs bring the sperm and eggs together, producing potentially viable ovum, which are then implanted in the female (I think generally two at a time, in case one doesn't "catch"). However, the "bringing eggs and sperm together" results in a lot of "misfires" - ovum that, while fertilized and technically, according to the pro-lifers, "living," can't be implanted in the mother, because the conditions for survival aren't correct (if implanted, they would result in a miscarriage or birth defect). Also, a fertility clinic has to produce a lot of ovum in order to attain a successful pregnancy; I'm not sure of the exact numbers, but I believe it's around one pregnancy for every fifty fertilization attempts. So, for every ovum that becomes a baby, that's forty-nine that, thanks to Our Gubmint, are being flushed down the toilet instead of used to potentially save lives.

An argument I have actually heard put forth by actual pro-lifers (in Congress, no less!) is that every single one of these ovum should be implanted into women, because every single one of these ovum is a potential human being. The folks spouting this particular idea get very vague when you ask them where, pray tell, all these host mothers should come from.

[gedrean.livejournal.com]

The problem with the pro-life camp, in this instance, is that they hold the world up to their ideals of what should be done without realizing that the world is NOT an ideal place. Yes, in an ideal world the government would feed every baby and clothe every child and provide health care to every human being and every single combination of ovum and sperm would be a viable baby given a good home, but this is not an ideal world. So, I demand the Pro-Lifers should boycott and aim to BAN the process of In Vitro Fertilization, as every unused combination is flushified. They should no longer be allowed to be the hypocrites they are. If any of them have had children by In Vitro, they should be imprisoned for their many crimes of murder.

[orleans.livejournal.com]

That was disturbing, but also inspiring as well. With all the difficulty he is having, he's still trying to help and do the right thing. I just wish the religious right would listen. :O