I Applaud George

I, for one, am an American who agrees with George W. Bush on the stem cell research issue. I applaud his firm stance on the moral obligation of not leading this nation into a practice that is believed by many to be immoral. I also feel that as a tax-payer, I prefer not to send my tax money in to support causes I believe to be immoral, inhumane and at best, with an unknown outcome. In the case of stem cell research, opening the door of federal funding will most likely open the door to many other acts deemed questionable (i.e., cloning, selective abortion - which is already!, abortion - again, already) and the outcome unknown, unconfirmed and with a snowball effect may become unstoppable.

That being said, all the hoopla surrounding this issue, making Bush and all his cronies out to be villains, is giving the impression that Bush has somehow outlawed the research in the area of stem cells. Nothing could be further from the truth!! Private research is being done, whether we all agree with it or not, just not using our federal tax dollars. Also, alternative and at times more promising research is being done in other areas of stem cell research not involving embryonic stem cells.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, I'm not at all convinced that embryonic stem cells are the best promise of hope for those with debilitating illnesses. This certainly was not the case for my father's lymphoma, in which mature stem cells were necessary for his treatment. How many people out there are able and willing to donate their own stem cells, a sometimes lengthy, painful procedure? They wouldn't have to sacrifice their life to do this, just some time, comfort and possibly some cash. I guess for some, it's just easier to take a life that hasn't even had the chance to speak for itself, and therein lies the real issue at the heart of stem cell research. At what point is a "life" considered viable, purposeful, valuable to society. It's, well, an issue that hinges in great part upon one's moral beliefs and practices.

So, today, I applaud George W. Bush for resolving to not use my tax money to pay for something I feel is morally wrong. I don't expect everyone to agree with me, I just want everyone to understand that nothing has been outlawed, it's just not paid for by me. If you really want to send money to your cause, go right ahead, research it yourself and pay for it. Also, be informed about stem cell research before deciding if you truly believe this is "promising" and "necessary" for those with debilitating, often fatal, diseases. To be swayed by the media or political propaganda on issues involving life is just plain ignorant - especially with a big election coming up. We're all smarter than that, right?