“Judge rewrites proposed stem cell amendment” (Feb. 21) said that the ballot wording submitted by Secretary of State Robin Carnahan summarizing a proposed constitutional amendment to Amendment 2 needed to be changed according to the holding of the judge. The judge drafted different wording. The state Constitution specifies that the secretary of state is to draft ballot summaries. Ms. Carnahan stands by her wording. Here we go again.

I support stem cell research and have advocated in support of all stem cell research. I am disappointed that both sides have failed to adequately educate us about their positions and why we need to continue this fight.

Supporters of Amendment 2 spent over 30 million dollars and we seem to be non the wiser. Even more disappointing are the people who oppose it have spent large sums of money and used the churches as a venue to express their view point. Again spending huge amounts of time and energy expressing their view. Yet many of us stopped attending those churches because we did not see the evil in the research and did not like the constant comparison to abortion. Stem cell research manipulates cells in a lab dish to create specific cells that may help reduce human suffering. There is no body created, just cells. Could they become a body? Only if introduced to a womb, specifically out lawed. So those against embryonic stem cell research want to give protection to those cells equal to that of a child or adult. I hardly see the sense in that when the cells are being thrown away every day. If this research offends you, no one will force you to take advantage of it. We make these decisions every day. Some amongst us smoke, some refuse to have their blood transfused and others decline to take life saving chemo therapy. The Churches are a wonderful and powerful part of our community. I welcome there participation in this debate but common sense needs to prevail. This research will go forward with or without Missouri’s participation. Let’s not continue to fight but instead listen to each other. If this research does lead to effective therapies, some will be happy others not, but the research needs to continue and we need to understand what it is and is not. No babies are being made to harvest body parts and stem cell therapy will not cure all our ills: between those two extremes lies the vast majority of common ground where we all can agree and learn the science that supports the research and make informed decisions. Playing politics with science is a bad idea.

Liz de Laperouse

Ladue