The Stem Cell Battle Continues

With a 63 to 34 vote, a bi-partisan effort is underway to fund embryonic stem cell research. This research holds out hope for tremendous medical benefits that could bring significant relief for patients with Parkinson's and Alzheimer's, persons who are paralyzed, and more. But, the President remains adamant that he won't support this effort, despite the fact that a goodly majority of Congress and the vast numbers of American people support it.
The ethical issues are tied up into abortion politics and are rooted in the idea that embryos are people and that to use them in research is tantamount to murder. Such reasoning is really suspect and in the meantime research is stymied. I mean if conservative Mormon Orrin Hatch is a co-sponsor how outlandish can it be? Indeed, Bush stands alone -- with the leading GOP presidential candidates -- Romney, Giuliani, and McCain all supporting research of some kind.
I have already editorialized on this issue in my Faith in the Public Square column and, as an LA Times editorial points out, Bush's original decision to allow funding to existing stem cell lines (which are now no longer usable) undermines his moral qualms.
Bush's position on stem cell funding is hobbled by its own internal contradictions. His 2001 executive order on the subject didn't ban all federal money for research, just research using stem cell "lines" created from that point on. Such an arbitrary cutoff undermined Bush's moral argument, as did his otherwise welcome willingness to allow private research to go forward.
George -- time to wake up and sign this legislation!

Comments

Anonymous said…
So Bob, as long as we've decided to start using my tax dollars to kill children we should just kill em all and get it over with cuz Bush is such a hypocrite you know.

That's sound reasoning.

How is such reasoning suspect, Bob? Where do you reason (?) that a fertilized egg becomes a person? Perhaps since your such a reasonable guy, you reason that Stanley Fish is about right. Or maybe somewhere before they can talk. or after. or somewhere before they start to play pretend. or after.

Please, enlighten me with the reasonings.

Hobbled is a problem, but it is still better than untethered.

As well, I find it amusing that you cite a majority of Americans when they feel like you do, but when they don't, they are idiots.

More sound reasoning from the land of relativity.

Jason

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