Crazy anti stem cell fundie at the poll this morning

proud2BlibKansan

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Tue Aug-08-06 01:20 PM
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Crazy anti stem cell fundie at the poll this morning

I am working at a polling place for a candidate, standing outside handing out fliers as voters go in to vote. Law says we have to stay 25 feet from the entrance.

First thing I see when I get there early this morning is a woman dressed like it is the mid 1800s, handing out literature as voters leave the polling place. She has a button on that says something about 'Missouri Christians' but I can't make out the rest.

So I say good morning to her and ask her what group she is with and she tells me Missourians for Life. So I ask what she is lobbying for and she says she is there to educate the voters regarding stem cell research. (There is a stem cell research amendment on the ballot in November in Missouri.)

So I ask if she is for or against stem cell research. She says she is against human cloning. I say well then I suppose you are glad to hear that the amendment on the ballot which allows stem cell research also specifically bans human cloning. She laughs and says well they are changing what they call cloning. So I ask her to explain what she means and she says well stem cell research IS cloning human beings. I ask how so and she says well a scientist will have to explain that to you. (And I think well that's 2 points for me :) )

So then she asks me if I am in favor of stem cell research and I say yes I am because my dad died of Parkinson's and he could be alive today if stem cell research had found a cure for his disease. So she says well adult stem cell research has already cured lots of diseases. I ask which ones and she doesn't know. Then I say well there is more potential for cures with embryonic stem cells. I also tell her I hate to even call them that since they aren't really embryos, they are blastocysts in a petrie dish and they will not become babies until they are implanted in a womb. She stares at me blankly.

So then I ask her if she knows what happens to these eggs that are NOT implanted in wombs and she says no. I tell her they are thrown in the trash. And I ask her if she is really pro-life then does she want lives saved or does she want these blastocysts thrown in the garbage? Another blank stare. Then she says well are you in favor of cloning humans? I say absolutely not but finding a cure for the disease that killed my dad doesn't mean a human is cloned in the process. I tell her that curing diseases with embryonic stem cells does not mean babies are not born, these are stem cells that are no longer needed by the woman whose eggs were fertilized to make this biological matter that is in the petrie dish. So the choice is throw the petrie dish away or save a life by curing a disease.

Then she changes the subject (2 more points :) ) and says well we need to stop discriminating against Christians and their beliefs in this country. I say how so and she says well we need to start by allowing prayer in school. So I tell her well I am a teacher and there is no prohibition against prayer in public schools. She says no I mean the kids need to pray out loud every morning. I tell her okay, but if we allow some kids to pray to Jesus, then it is only a matter of time before the Muslims will ask that their kids pray to Allah too. She says well that won't happen here. I say oh you don't know how large our Muslim community in this city is, do you? She says we have Muslims here?

So I tell her the northeast end of this city has a very large Muslim community and my school has a lot of their children enrolled. I tell her about another school that has a majority Muslim student body. And I tell her I have nothing against Muslims, but we just don't have the time in our school day to stop 5 or 6 times and let kids pray; we have to get them ready to be tested!

So she walks away from me and spends the next hour standing right by the door and handing out her fliers as the voters walk out. I saw most either refuse to take her literature or give her a funny look. A few comment to me as they pass by that that woman is nuts.

Then I watch another woman talking to the fundie as she goes in to vote and I see the fundie talk to her again as she leaves. The voter goes back in the polling place and leaves by another door. She comes up to me and tells me she complained about that woman being in her face as she entered and as she left. Then I see the fundie get in her car and drive away.

I am home for lunch now. When I go back, I kind of hope the fundie is back too since I rather enjoyed talking to her. :)