Date: Sun, 18 Feb 2001 01:00:33 -0500 (EST)
Message-Id: <200102180600.BAA23470@mattababy.mit.edu>
From: belmonte@mit.edu (Matthew Belmonte)
To: president@whitehouse.gov
Subject: support embryonic stem cell research

Dear President Bush

As a neuroscientist and as the son of a man who suffers from Parkinson's
disease, I hope that you'll support vigorous research into neural regeneration
using one of the most effective resources currently available to us: embryonic
stem cells.  As you know, considerable controversy surrounds this issue because
these cells are a byproduct of surplus embryos from fertility treatments.  But
given that these cells are available, and that the embryos from which they're
derived would become non-viable anyway without implantation into a womb,
wouldn't it be a tragedy if Americans who are suffering were to be denied the
relief that stem cell research could produce?