Monday, June 07, 2004
I just don't understand this
A Bush spokesperson on stem cell research:
"The president remains committed to exploring the promise of stem cell research but at the same time continues to believe strongly that we should not cross a fundamental moral line by funding or encouraging the destruction of human embryos," Lisaius said.
"The president does not believe that life should be created for the sole purpose of destroying it. He does believe we can explore the promise and potential of stem cell research using the existing lines of stem cells."
Okay, lots and lots of VERY smart people disagree with me on this, but I consider obssessing about a handful of undifferentiated fetal cells as akin to forcing auto insurance companies to pay out for the destruction of a steel mine due to the "destroyed potential" of all those cars which couldn't be made. Ban partial birth abortion, heck, ban it all the way back to 6 weeks after conception, but let's make a middle ground between this "moral line" which states that a few day old "fetus" is as important a 6 month, or 3 month, or even 6 week old fetus.
As this site explains...
The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst.
Yes, that human embryo won't turn into a cow, but one would be hard pressed to call it a human being under even the most loose of definitions.
A Bush spokesperson on stem cell research:
"The president remains committed to exploring the promise of stem cell research but at the same time continues to believe strongly that we should not cross a fundamental moral line by funding or encouraging the destruction of human embryos," Lisaius said.
"The president does not believe that life should be created for the sole purpose of destroying it. He does believe we can explore the promise and potential of stem cell research using the existing lines of stem cells."
Okay, lots and lots of VERY smart people disagree with me on this, but I consider obssessing about a handful of undifferentiated fetal cells as akin to forcing auto insurance companies to pay out for the destruction of a steel mine due to the "destroyed potential" of all those cars which couldn't be made. Ban partial birth abortion, heck, ban it all the way back to 6 weeks after conception, but let's make a middle ground between this "moral line" which states that a few day old "fetus" is as important a 6 month, or 3 month, or even 6 week old fetus.
As this site explains...
The embryos from which human embryonic stem cells are derived are typically four or five days old and are a hollow microscopic ball of cells called the blastocyst.
Yes, that human embryo won't turn into a cow, but one would be hard pressed to call it a human being under even the most loose of definitions.
