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[dvnews_page]JohnKerry’sradioaddretotheNation

October16,20__

JohnKerry:Goodmorning,thisisJohnKerry.

Thispastweek,Americalostoneofitsheroesandmyfriend,ChristopherReeve.ChriswasoneofthemosthopefulpeopleI’veevermet.Hetreatedeverysingledaylikeagift,andhislifewasagifttoallofus.Hiscourage,compaion,anddeterminationwereaniiration–andI’maolutel！yconfidentthatbecauseofhiswork,millioofAmericawillultimatelylivehealthierlives.

Butthefactisthatrightnow,we’renotdoingeverythingwecantohelpAmericarealizethisdream.Threeyearsago,GeorgeW.Bushputinplaceabanonfederalfundingforstemcellresearch–abanthat’stiedthehandsofourscientistsandshutdownsomeofourmostpromisingworkoninalcordinjuries,Alzheimer’s,Diabetes,Parkion’sandotherlife-threateningdiseases.

Today,aroximately100millionAmericasufferfromillneesthatmayonedaybetreatedorcuredwithstem-celltherapy.Stemcellsmayholdthekeytotreatingheartdiseaseandcancer.Theymayhavethepowertoslowtheloofagrandmother’smemory,calmthehandofanunclewithParkion’s,orsaveachildfromalifetimeofdailyiulinshots.

Byrestrictingstemcellresearch,PresidentBushhasturnedhisbackonthishope.He’smadethewrongchoicetosacrificescienceforextremeright-wingideology.Andrightnow,thereissuchpoibilityfortreatmentsthatcouldtraformourlives–butbecauseofthestemcellban,theyarestillbeyondourreach.

That’snottheAmericanway.HereinAmerica,we’vealwayspushedtheboundariesofknowledgeandusedthepowerofsciencetoimprovethelivesofourpeople.ThefirstcartorolloffanaemblylinewasmaderighthereinAmerica.ThefirstairplanetookofffromAmericansoil.AndthefirstfootprintsonthemoonwereleftbyanAmericanastronaut.Nowwestandattheedgeofthenextgreatfrontier–butiteadofleadingtheway,we’restuckonthesidelines.

ButPresidentBushjustdoe’tgetit.Facedwiththefacts,heturaway.Timeandtimeagain,he’sproventhathe’sstuorn,outoftouch,andunwillingtochangecourse.

Leadersfrombothpoliticalparties–includingSenatorsOrrinHatchfromUtahandJohnMcCainfromArizona–bothsuortstemcellresearchaswellasmanyothers.AndthemajorityofAmericado.Butiteadoflisteningtothem,thisAdministrationclaimsthatsuortingstemcellresearchcreatesfalsehope.

Thinkaboutthatforaminute.Imagineifwe’dtoldresearchersstudyingpoliotheywerecreatingfalsehope.Imagineifwe’dtoldthoseworkingtoeradicatesmallpoxtheywerecreatingfalsehope.It’sunthinkable,i’tit?Butthat’sexactlywhatthisAdministrationissayingtoscientistswhowanttostudyParkion’s,Alzheimer’s,Diabetes,inalcordinjuriesandsomanyotherdebilitatingconditio.

Andthat’sjustanhonestdifferenceofopinionbetweenGeorgeBushandme.Ibelievethatwhenitcomestoourmostpromisingresearch–there’snosuchthingasfalsehope.Iknowthatwhenweputourbestmindstoworkstudyingourworstdiseases–timeandtimeagain,wefindtreatments,andcures,andvaccines.Butwhenwedon’t–whenwehaveaPresidentwhodismiesourscientistsandturhisbackonscience–thenwesaynotodiscovery,notoiovation,andnotohopeforsomanyAmerica

WhenI’mPresident,we’regoingtostopsayingno.We’regoingtosayyes.We’regoingtoliftthebanonfederalfundingforstemcellresearchonceandforall.We’regoingtomakefundingforthisresearchatoppriorityinourgovernmentagencies,ouruniversities,andourmedicalcommunity.Andwe’llcontinuetoleadtheworldingreatdiscoveries–allwhileupholdingthehighestethicalstandards.That’stherightchoiceforAmerica.

ChristopherReeveonceremarkedthat“Somanyofour dreamsatfirstseemimpoible,thentheyseemimprobable,andthen,whenwesummonthewill,theysoonbecomeinevitable.”Together,we’regoingtofighttomakeChris’impoibledreamabeautifulreality.We’regoingtoonceagainsayyestoscience,yestodiscovery,andyestoaneweraofhopeforallAmerica.

Thanksforlistening.