The highlight of the news today was the report of the breakthrough on stem-cell research. Scientists have learned of a way to make normal human skin cells behave like stem-cells in laboratory tests. I'm not a scientist and I don't play one on t.v., so I'll let you read the article published by the NY Times if you want details.
This is a wonderful achievement for science and medicine and a great advance for the culture of life. The purpose of my post today is to ask a couple of questions for us to ponder.
1. Would there have been such an effort to find other ways to research stem-cells if President Bush had not been so steadfast on this issue?
2. Do democrats see this as good news? Is this bad news for those seeking to use this as a wedge issue in the 2008 elections?
We were told time after time that President Bush was single-handedly causing people with ailments like spinal injuries and Alzheimer's disease to live in misery because he vetoed federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research. The President stood his ground and maintained that there were other ways to conduct the research without using embryos. It looks like he was right.
In June, Congress tried to undo the President's prohibition on embryonic stem-cell research, but the President kept his promise to veto the bill. Nancy Pelosi said this in a fund-raising email shortly before the veto, "Tomorrow, with a single stroke of his cruel veto pen, President Bush will dash the hopes of millions of Americans seeking cures through the miracle of stem-cell research (emphasis mine)." Hillary Clinton also used the veto as an opportunity to whip campaign supporters into a froth by saying, "[the veto was] just one more example as to why we're going to send [Republicans] packing in January 2009 and return progressive leadership to the White House."
Shame on people like Nancy Pelosi and Hillary Clinton who have such a myopic view of this sensitive issue to think that the only way to conduct research was through the use of embryos. If their view isn't myopic, then that means they are being intellectually dishonest. If that's the case, then who is really being cruel?
In reality, it is a wonderful fact that important stem cell research continues without giving in to the notion that life is disposable and insignificant.
So Speaker Pelosi, I am going to describe the great news of the day by rephrasing your quote, "Today, because of brilliant scientists interested in finding a better way - without political agenda- lifted the hopes of millions of Americans seeking cures through the miracle of non-embryonic stem-cell research."
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