Life Links 9/24/08

The Detroit Free Press has a couple of articles on embryonic stem cell research which give you a clear idea of where reporter Megha Satyanarayana stands on the issue. One article focuses on Proposal 2 while the other talks to a woman who went through IVF and would have given any "leftover" embryos to be adopted, if she had any. At the end of the second article I'm wondering to myself, "Why didn't they interview someone who actually had their embryos adopted or adopted embryos?"

In the first article, Dr. Sean Morrison intentionally misleads the reporter on a number counts (failing to note how U of M gets federal funding for embryonic stem cell research, claiming getting new embryonic stem cells is "costly," and insinuating Michael Clarke (the unnamed researcher who went to Stanford) did so because of Michigan's laws. Of course, Satyanarayana fails to actually check into any of Morrison's claims. The rest of the article displays the typical reporting style of someone with an axe to grind. The points of opponents of Proposal 2 are quickly dismissed by lengthy quotes from proponents of Proposal 2 while the opponents of Proposal 2 aren't given any space to correct false claims from Dr. Morrison and other Proposal 2 advocates. The article concludes by comparing opposition to killing human embryos for research with the opposition to the use of insulin.

Keep it up Satyanarayana and you'll have a long career in an industry which is continuing to lose the trust of the American people because of obviously biased articles like yours.


The Chicago Tribune fact checks Obama's ad which mislead listeners on McCain position on "stem cell research." If you're going to mislead people about your opponent's position at least claim he's opposed to embryonic stem cell research since no one is opposed to all types of stem cell research.


Rebecca Taylor examines a statement by Wisconsin's Governor Jim Doyle on embryonic stem cell research.


Wesley Smith contrasts the results of a trial of a mother who killed her disabled child with Robert Lattimore who killed his disabled child but claimed he was doing so out of compassion.