Friday, March 29, 2024

Good thing

The government should agree to fund controversial research

After weeks of increasingly heated debate that has threatened to obscure the real issue at hand, President Bush is close to making a decision on whether the government should pay for research on stem cells extracted from human embryos.

Stem cells are found in embryos and some adult tissues and can develop into brain cells, liver cells, heart cells and other parts of the body.

Embryonic stem cells have generated great excitement among scientists because they are believed to have the potential to grow into any cell or tissue in the body, and consequently may be able to repair and replace damaged tissues and organs.

Although it is possible to extract stem cells from adult tissue, embryonic cells have unlimited ability to proliferate and form new tissue in the laboratory, making them superior for research use.

While advocates of federal spending for such research say the promise of new treatments or cures for Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease and diabetes is more than enough to justify government support; the Roman Catholic Church, anti-abortion activists and many conservatives object to using stem cells extracted from embryos, even those from fertility clinics that might otherwise be discarded.

Despite the opposition, the White House is reportedly leaning toward support of a plan that would permit government-funded research to use discarded embryos created during infertility treatments.

This plan would be similar to the one already put in place by former President Bill Clinton that allows federal funds to support research on stem cells created during fertility treatments.

Although this is a no-win situation for the Bush administration, it will please the most people and placate the most interests by adopting some form of this idea.

While the Catholic Church can be said to represent the views of a significant percentage of the American people, the majority of Americans do not prescribe to its conservative ideology.

Anti-abortion activists are also found on the extreme side of the political spectrum, and it has been shown in many public opinion polls that most people do not agree with their views on abortion.

Likewise, the opinions of overly conservative politicians are not always in sync with those of the general populace, as evidenced by the focus on the moderate voter prevalent in last year’s presidential election.

In fact, some of Capitol Hill’s most right-wing voices have spoken in support of stem cell research - including South Carolina Sen. Strom Thurmond and Utah Sen. Orrin Hatch - joining moderate Republicans like Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, Arlen Specter, R-Pa., Lincoln Chafee, R-R.I. and John McCain, R-Ariz.

The White House should consider the ends to be gained by such means, and recognize that there is much to be gained by supporting some form of this research.

There is no point in sacrificing the potential health and well-being of millions of people in the interest of embryos outside the womb that will only be destroyed anyway.

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