WASHINGTON, April 29--Stop Human Cloning today responded to the "Harry and Louise" advertisement being aired by CURES Now, an advocacy group that supports human cloning for medical experiments.
The 60 second radio ad features "Harriet" and "Louis," who discuss the claims made by a couple they have seen on television who look strangely familiar. "Harriet and Louis" set the record straight -- the debate in the Senate isn't over an "unfertilized egg and stem cell," as the pro-cloning lobby's "Harry and Louise" claim, but over a cloned human embryo created and destroyed for medical experimentation.
William Kristol, chairman of Stop Human Cloning said, "It's important to have a real debate about human embryonic cloning, not to hide behind euphemisms and deception. That's why we're releasing this response ad to set the record straight."
Mary Cannon, executive director of Stop Human Cloning, said the group intends to air response ads in markets where the "Harry and Louise" ads are aired.
The text of "Harriet and Louis" follows:
STOP HUMAN CLONING
"Harriet and Louis"
60 Seconds
HARRIET: Louis, did you see that ad on tv about cloning?
LOUIS: The one with the couple who look just like us.
HARRIET: Spooky, huh?
LOUIS: You don't suppose they're really clones, do you?
HARRIET: Who knows? It seems like some biotech companies will do just about anything to make a buck. Did you know they want to get patents on human clones, just like they do on lab animals?
LOUIS: But their ad says they're only using a human egg and a skin cell.
HARRIET: Well that's how you make a clone!
LOUIS: But they also say cloning is needed to cure terrible diseases.
HARRIET: Look, if they were really interested in cures, they'd be talking about adult stem cell research, which shows far more promise -- not creating embryos to destroy them for medical experiments.
LOUIS: What can we do to stop them?
HARRIET: Well, there is a Senate bill that bans all human cloning.
LOUIS: But not lifesaving research?
HARRIET: Of course not. It's the bill President Bush supports. We need to call Senator (Tim Johnson) at 202-224-3121 and ask him to vote for the Brownback/Landrieu bill.
(Doorbell rings)
LOUIS: Harriet, your sister is here.
HARRIET: Sister? I don't have a sister.