Joe Boggs – 10/31/04

This page was last updated on November 1, 2004.

Don’t stop research; Joe Boggs; Beaver County Times; October 31, 2004.

Mr. Boggs’ previous letter tried to convince us there’s no difference between President Bush and John Kerry with respect to abortion. As in the previous letter, Mr. Boggs relies on falsehoods.

Below is a detailed critique of the subject letter.

“In response to Pat Kuzma’s letter to the editor (‘Challenging Kerry’s values,’ Oct. 22):

“Science today can prove to us life begins in the womb, heartbeat, ultrasound, etc.

“We don’t have to abort a baby to help people like Christopher Reeve. Michael J. Fox doesn’t have to impregnate his wife and abort his baby to save his life.

“Please understand: no womb, no life.

“A fertilized egg will grow cells outside a womb, not a baby. If we don’t use these cells, they will remain frozen or be destroyed. They have never been in a womb nor will they ever be.”

[RWC] Mr. Boggs needs to retake his high school health class. Approximately 2% of pregnancies occur outside the womb. These are referred to as ectopic pregnancies. It’s my understanding ectopic pregnancies never end successfully. Until that time, however, the ectopic embryo/fetus is the same as an intrauterine embryo/fetus.

My point is that a fertilized egg is life, whether or not it is in the womb.

There is a reason the type of stem cells to which Mr. Boggs refers are called embryonic stem cells. That’s why Mr. Boggs didn’t identify the stem cell type he’s talking about. Mr. Boggs doesn’t want us to know the collection of embryonic stem cells kills the human embryo from which the cells are harvested.

Let me make it simple. Embryonic stem cells come from a fertilized egg. Fertilized egg = conception. Conception = life.

In case Mr. Boggs believes conception does not equal life, consider the following quote from John Kerry – Mr. Boggs’ candidate – on July 4, 2004: “I believe life does begin at conception.”¹

“No cells are being removed from a woman or denied to her. These cells have never been anywhere but a lab.

“If a candidate understands the above and does value all life, including those alive now, he or she will support with good conscious stem cell research.”

[RWC] As a good partisan Democrat, Mr. Boggs is deliberately trying to mislead us. President Bush fully supports stem cell research and provided federal funding for adult stem cell research. He is the first president to do so. President Bush chose not to provide federal funding for embryonic stem cells harvested past a certain date. This does not prevent harvesting of embryonic stem cells or funding of embryonic stem cell research by the private sector. Mr. Boggs doesn’t want you to know that, either.

1. Kerry Says He Believes Life Starts at Conception; Jonathan Finer; The Washington Post; July 5, 2004.