Denying America Hope
The stem cell debate is the difference between sound science and hardcore ideology. Yesterday Governor Dean said,
"If the President vetoes this bill, he will once again be ignoring sound science and denying hope to millions of Americans and their families."
Millions of Americans, Republicans and Democrats alike, who overwhelmingly support expanding federal funding for this research. From Reuters:
Debi Martin is a Christian, a Republican and opposes abortion but she is ready to vote against the party in November if President George W. Bush and congressional Republicans limit stem cell research."This is a vote breaker for me," said the Cincinnati mother. "I tell people I'm becoming a Republi-crat at this point -- because there are just things wrong in the Republican Party where people's voices are not being heard anymore."
The passage on Tuesday of a Senate bill to fund embryonic stem cell research -- and a presidential veto expected on Wednesday killing the legislation -- hits very close to home for Martin. Her 9-year-old daughter, Jessi, has diabetes and they both hope stem cell research can some day find a cure.
Martin also feels strongly about the use of embryonic stem cells for research because Jessi was conceived by in vitro fertilization -- and Martin and her husband decided years ago to discard nine unused embryos because she could not have another child.
"I would give anything if I could have had those nine cells to give to have a cure for my baby now," she said. "And I think the worst sin of all, and I am a very religious person, I am pro-life, is to look a miracle from God in the face and throw it away."
Over at DailyKos, science blogger DarkSyde explains why embryonic stem cell (ESC), and not only adult stem cell (ASC) research is critical to finding these cures:
Stem Cell research offers the promise of regrowing damaged spinal cords and for that matter, almost any other diseased tissue. Maybe even entire organs, specifically tailored for the patient, could be produced with applications that flow from stem cell research. The long term possibilities are dazzling; new limbs for amputees; new hearts or livers to replace those destroyed by disease; new retinas or even whole new eyes for the blind; brand new skin, scar-free, for burn victims. The potential breakthroughs dwarf any advance in medicine since the development of general surgery or antibiotics.We do not know if these dream treatments will become a reality. What's critical to understand is that to develop any of them, we need government funded research into both ASC and ESC. Scientific discovery and innovation is serendipitous. We need to learn how to develop and program stem cells and to do that, a whole array of physiological questions must be answered about how to turn them on and off to become specific tissues and avoid rejection. ASC and ESC research provides that insight, the two work hand in hand. And the end product in many cases will almost certainly rely on research done on both types.
And if you had any question that the President's expected veto is anything but another way to cater to an ultra-conservative minority:
ESC lines come from material stored at fertility clinics which is already slated for destruction. Preventing these blastocysts from being used for research won't 'save' them. It simply means they'll be disposed of in a medical waste facility instead of being used to find cures for disease. The only reason to restrict federal approval of new lines is to appeal to a minority of extremist social conservatives and it comes at the cost of possibly delaying or denying treatment--and in some cases life itself--to millions of people.
Just a reminder, this is the roll call from the Senate, where you can find out how your Senator voted.
Comments (6) «
« Hide Comments
Comments are now closed for this entry.
