One OK Senator's Valiant Crusade Against Selling Babies as Food

I don't know about you, but I am sick and tired of having to finger through my food every time I'm out at a restaurant just to make certain the chef didn't try to sneak a human zygote onto my dish against my specific requests.

Hopefully, that's one problem that the good people of Oklahoma won't have to put up with for very much longer…

A Republican state senator from Oklahoma City introduced a bill Tuesday that would ban the use of aborted human fetuses in food, despite conceding that he's unaware of any company using such a practice.

Freshman Sen. Ralph Shortey said his own Internet research led him to believe such a ban is necessary and prompted him to offer the bill aimed at raising "public awareness" and giving an "ultimatum to companies" that might consider such a policy.

Shortey said he discovered suggestions online that some companies use embryonic stem cells to develop artificial flavors, but added that he is unaware of any Oklahoma companies doing such research.

Nevermind that the FDA is "not aware of this particular concern" and even staunch anti-abortion groups aren't really certain what Sen. Shortey is going on about. Let's get this taken care of NOW!

The way I see it, you can never bee too careful. One day, a scientist is using a non-sentient stem cell to research a cure for Alzheimer's disease or to stave off progressive blindness. The next, you've got Subway Sandwiches running a late-term abortion clinic out of the kitchen, and some pimply snot-nosed teenager is asking if you want raspberry balsamic vinaigrette on your Italian Bambino hoagie.

It's a very, very slippery slope.

(via Hullabaloo)

Photo by Xavier Snelgrove/Wikimedia Commons

Tags: Abortion, Food, Oklahoma, Science & Technology, State Legislature, Stem Cells

SMBC: Dealing with Justice

From Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal…

I'll have to figure out whether this is referencing Prop 8 or this stem cell thing before I decide if this is funny.

Tags: Comedians, Marriage Equality, Proposition 8, Science & Technology, SMBC, Stem Cells, Supreme Court

Stem Cells Have Power to Reshape Electoral Map Apparently

Believe it or not, but this whole using the cells from unborn embryos for scientific experimentation thing might just turn out to be controversial…

No sooner had Obama issued his order than conservative lawmakers in state legislatures began proposing new restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, ranging from criminal penalties to bans on state-level funding…

But the stem cell battle is not just a high-profile clash of values. The dispute provides a sharp focus on how science may help reshape America. Several states have set aside billions of dollars to support stem cell research, and the new federal money Obama is promising will generally flow to those areas.

That means states supporting stem cell research will experience an economic windfall while attracting highly educated technology workers who tend to vote Democratic. The more conservative states restricting stem cell research will attract fewer funds and fewer socially liberal voters. In short, a state's stem cell policy will influence electoral results and help determine whether a state turns red or blue.

Wow. So, not only do stem cells have the ability to to turn into different kinds of cell, but they also have the ability to turn red states blue and blue states red.

Those things are really powerful.

No wonder Obama's got that obsessive bloodlust for killing babies to get his hands on them.

Tags: Barack Obama, Science & Technology, Stem Cells

Rep. Mike Pence Is Still on the Fence About This Whole Science Thing

Chris Matthews tries in vain to get Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) to make any kind of definitive statement on his own — and by extention, his party's — beliefs about, and commitment to, science and scientific education.

Starts at minute 6:27, but it really gets good at 8:05 when Matthews asks Pence if he believes in evolution…

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You've really gotta admire a guy like Pence who can dance around a question for that long.

Tags: Climate Change, Environment, House of Representatives, Mike Pence, Religion, Republicans, Science & Technology, Stem Cells

The U.S. Ends Its War on Science, the One War We Were Winning

You get a discarded embryo! You get a discarded embryo! Everybody gets a discarded embryo!

Tags: Barack Obama, George W. Bush, Jon Stewart, Science & Technology, Stem Cells, The Daily Show