Republican or Democrat? Register to vote but make sure you know the facts about stem cell research before you help elect our next president. This writer wishes she had listened to her Democratic grandmother.

Even in first time introductions to total strangers, we have always called my mother's mom "Nanny." She is the matriarch of our family and has been a very outspoken Democrat for as long as I can remember. Even when my parents and I tried to argue with her about the need and ability of the Republican Party to balance the American budget, Nanny stood strong in her belief. "When you get old and need to be on Medicare and the Republicans have taken the program away, you'll wish you had voted for a Democrat!"

I guess my Nanny was right all along; Democrats have more of a heart for the poor and aging American people than the business-minded Republicans who give all kinds of breaks to corporations.

Coming from a Southern Baptist family, I never thought I'd be agreeing with my Nanny. I was a staunch Republican until George W. took office. My faith in the GOP has been rapidly sliding downhill ever since.

Then, I learned about the stem cell debate and started doing some research about why people were opposed to using material leftover from in-vitro fertilization to seek cures and treatments for many illnesses. It never made sense to me why anyone would think it better to throw away these days-old blastocysts than to study them, but I kept researching for logic that was no where to be found.

While I was editing a book for a client with quadriplegia, H.R. 810 (the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act of 2005) was passed by Congress. This meant that funds would be released for blastocyst (some call it embryonic) stem cell research. I could not believe President Bush exercised his first veto to withhold funds for research that might find cures for people who have physical and medical disabilities.

The president's decision and the mindset of the misinformed right-wing ultra-orthodox party must be challenged if our society is to benefit from blastocyst stem cell biotechnology. I continued my search for information on stem cell research. The next thing I knew I had collected enough material on the topic to write a book. As a ghostwriter for many authors, I decided to finish my obligation to my current clients and take time off to write Right to Recover, Winning the Political and Religious Wars over Stem Cell Research in America.

The more I searched, the more I was convinced that the messages promoted by ultra-conservative politicians and right-wing religious groups were not always the whole truth and nothing but the truth. I have exposed their actions in my book. I have shown all types of stem cell research from all angles. I have presented a history of how religion was started as a means of controlling masses by using fear tactics. Regardless of which side of the blastocystic (embryonic) stem cell research issue you are on, the book will cause you to question your own reasons for believing what you believe. Perhaps you will "own" your truth rather than believing religious or political leaders.

Because Democrats support all types of stem cell research, I support Democratic candidates with my vote. If you are not registered to vote and going to the polls to exercise your freedom, you are missing a great opportunity to have a voice about what goes on in our country. You can register to vote online at https://ssl.capwiz.com/congressorg/e4/nvra/ or go to http://www.fec.gov/votregis/pdf/nvra.pdf to download a form. Also, your local library may have the form.

Register to vote but make sure you know the facts about stem cell research before you help elect our next president. Before you go to the presidential election polls in 2008, please drop by www.right2recover.com and read what I have discovered while writing my book on stem cell research.

Listening to our elders might be a good idea when it comes to understanding politics. Whether they are right or wrong, you just might learn from your grandparents.

At 90 years old, my Nanny still believes in the Democratic Party, is an avid Braves baseball fan, and bakes an apple pie that is out of this world! Maybe I should have listened to her sooner.