They are pushing that stem cell funding bill through, just as I suspected. I'm still appalled, on many levels. First, that they would propose spending tax money on something so controversial. Please, don't ask me to pay for abortion. Second, that they would suggest that this will be the answer to diseases such as Parkinson's, juvenile diabetes and the such. These diseases, even if they did find a cure for them, provide such a substantial income for pharmaceutical companies I believe we would never know if there truly was a cure outside of a medicinal one. Finally, I have been so underimpressed with the embryonic stem cell research already in progress, surrounded by all kinds of unethical behavior.
My true feeling on this is that many other promising research avenues that are much less controversial and possibly more successful are being overlooked due to the political clout that is gained by a "stem cell victory" in the eyes of partisan politicians. The show that goes on in the form of legislation makes the news, therefore presents as fact, "our only hope," and many Americans don't bother to research the true facts themselves. What if this issue was not political at all? What if it really was a life or death issue? Would we then do everything in our power to find the quickest, easiest and least life-threatening solution to this problem???
I, for one, would not offer up one of my children for research. I, for one, would never want to benefit from research that took an innocent life. I choose to move on and look for other avenues of continuing this life-saving research without jumping to the conclusion that we MUST HAVE EMBRYOs! I even found an article with some promising information - would you take the time to read this??
Now, having a sister with juvenile diabetes and a father who went through a stem cell transplant, I guess I feel I have some vested interest in this subject. I would venture to guess that unless you come face to face with this issue, it will mean little to you. But for me, I remain disheartened at the legislative battle that is hindering other forms of research and misleading the public into seeing one side as "villainous" and the other as "life-saving." Nothing could be farther from the truth!
My true feeling on this is that many other promising research avenues that are much less controversial and possibly more successful are being overlooked due to the political clout that is gained by a "stem cell victory" in the eyes of partisan politicians. The show that goes on in the form of legislation makes the news, therefore presents as fact, "our only hope," and many Americans don't bother to research the true facts themselves. What if this issue was not political at all? What if it really was a life or death issue? Would we then do everything in our power to find the quickest, easiest and least life-threatening solution to this problem???
I, for one, would not offer up one of my children for research. I, for one, would never want to benefit from research that took an innocent life. I choose to move on and look for other avenues of continuing this life-saving research without jumping to the conclusion that we MUST HAVE EMBRYOs! I even found an article with some promising information - would you take the time to read this??
Now, having a sister with juvenile diabetes and a father who went through a stem cell transplant, I guess I feel I have some vested interest in this subject. I would venture to guess that unless you come face to face with this issue, it will mean little to you. But for me, I remain disheartened at the legislative battle that is hindering other forms of research and misleading the public into seeing one side as "villainous" and the other as "life-saving." Nothing could be farther from the truth!
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