The problem stems from ignorance
I do try to stay out of the normal bouts of politics that engulf most blogs. That’s not why most come to the site. But today I had to chime in. I will be brief.
President Bush used his first presidential veto today, blocking a bill that would allow further stem cell research.
It’s an issue that has a lot of strings attached.
Firstly, I am against farming humans. I think it is an affront to raise humans like crops, just to yank out cells or organs.
That said, this veto is ridiculous.
Every day, embryos are destroyed in fertility clinics. There’s nothing wrong with them, it’s just that with in vitro fertilization, you make a dozen or so embryos, pick the best ones and chuck the rest. At best they are frozen indefinitely.
Every day–swoosh! There they go. Dead.
This bill would allow couples to VOLUNTEER to let embryos that WOULD HAVE BEEN DESTROYED to be used for stem cells. They are going to torch them, friends. The lives are going down the toilet, regardless.
Is that a tragedy in itself? You’re GD right! But the ethics of fertility clinics is an issue rich, sterile couples don’t want to see touched. “Forget the millions available for adoption! I want I want I want! Me me me me!”
All vetoing this bill does is allow those deaths to be in vain–no cures for cancer, no live-saving organ transplants, no life-improving changes for disabled and suffering people. Again, I’m not for farming people, but if you’re going to literally throw away lives–and then do nothing with the sacrifice, that’s two big red cards.
This “further research” bill isn’t what many freak out about. Babies aren’t being harvested. Humans aren’t being cloned and chopped up. It’s trying to use what’s being tossed in the garbage!
And please don’t play the religion card. Where’s the outcry against in vitro fertilization? Where’s the outcry for the thousands of conceived souls sitting in freezers somewhere with no hope to live, waiting until funding is rescinded and their lives ended in a great thaw?
It baffles me that the segment of the population of the U.S. who is fervently against any sort of stem cell research is so blinded by their religious zeal, that they would rather pour water onto the ground rather than give the suffering a drink.
And it never fails to surprise me how often people change their tune when diagnosed with a disease that could benefit from stem cell research. Convictions are swell, as long as the cause is against someone else.
Two wrongs don’t make a right, granted. But if you’re going to shoot somebody and then refuse to let the organs be donated to the dying because you’re trying to ignore the fact that you’re a murderer, that’s not right either. That’s ignorance, and just plain cruel.
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Talking Salmons 
Bravo, couldn’t have said it better myself…
Paul
I agree with you 100 percent. Everywhere you look the hypocracy looms larger and larger, especially on this topic.
I agree. Nice points, you really thought it out.
Still on subject but switching moods here…
This subject reminds me of the South Park where Cartman tries to sell the fetus’ for a high price. They were always breakin’ his balls. It was great. And when Christopher Reeves would suck the stem cells out of babies and get stronger.
Josh –
FIRST – hope you are like FINCH and will read this before it posts to your blog before posting – not sure everyone needs to see my “rant”.
I’m not totally clear where I stand w/this issue. Today I heard (think on Rush Limbaugh) a doctor called in and said that “we” don’t realize how many embryos it takes to actually make a difference to do the research that “they” are taliking about. That it may lead to women getting pregnant only to harvest / sell the embryos – thus leading to another woman’s rights issue. (kind of like sperm banks?)
On another front (sort of) lately I’ve seen commercials for umbilical cord donations! Heard about it for years, now they are actually advertising for people to bank their umbilical cords for “treatment of leukemia and other life-threatening blood diseases”. Is that different?
However, on the research front, my father (Finch’s grandfather) was recently diagnosed w/lung cancer. My mom, and many others, have passed away w/this diagnosis. I would have taken my dad’s news as a “death notice” if not for the strides that have been made over the last 25 years – mostly from research done through other’s sacrifices. My dad is now in a research program through Pfizer and has a very positive progonis. (tumor has actually shrunken) If not through corporate funding this may not have been the case. It is the Bill Gates, Nancy Reagans, Warren Buffets, and Lance Armstrongs of this world that may be the ones that make a difference. While I back George Bush on most things – I’m not sure why we/I depend on the government to make these important decisions? Maybe we the People should do what we hope is right?
It’s not a perfect world.
Again, I still am uncertain about the veto decision – but I hope that private organizations can find / make a difference and not stop the research.
In these crazy times – when the world seems to be on fire – I will keep praying for all of you out there defending our “rights” – (of speech/life, liberty, pursuit of happiness / to bear arms / express opions, etc.) You should Google “rights” sometime to see what are rights actually are! Anyway – GODSPEED to all of you! And, again, sorry for the “rant”!
This is taken in part from a blog entry I made back in 2004 when I had a particularly tough flight from Sydney to Los Angeles.
“So at the end of the flight all I wanted to do was to board my flight from LAX to SLC and fall asleep for the one hour flight. So, I board the plane and a nice older couple come to sit down next to me. Perfect I thought… At which point we introduce ourselves and the woman starts asking me ALL sorts of questions! Some getting downright personal, such as asking about political preference and such. I tried deflecting some of the questions until it became impossible. She obviously had an agenda and she wanted to know who I would be voting for in the upcoming election. I politely informed her that it was a personal question and I would rather not discuss it. Ignoring my plea, she persisted and started lecturing me about stem cells and how all stem cell research is bad…. Now, being a bioscientist, I simply could not abide this assault. We talked for almost an hour about stem cells. I educated them about the issues, even informing her that her husbands Parkinson’s Disease (she was surprised I could tell) was one of the hottest areas of stem cell research. I informed her that all stem cell research was not bad and that in fact, most of it was entirely compatible with her religious beliefs. We talked for quite some time and I was feeling pretty good about it as her husband was visibly moved by the educational experience. We landed in SLC at which point she thanked me for the talk and informed me that she would not be changing her vote.”
As I wrote in my blog at the time…. “Mark my words, single issue voters are going to cause problems for this country.”
Well said. As one half of a couple that has produced a lot of embryos (and used all the viable ones) the veto was ridiculous.
The only thing worse was Bush’s photo op with the “snowflake babies”, as if his veto was going to produce more of them.
Disgusting.
Paul and Shannon: Thanks for stopping by to say “hey”. While I don’t claim to have THE answer by any means, it’s crazy how some people refuse to even consider other positions, isn’t it?
ZnB: Ya, I remember that one. Sort of disturbing 😉 South Park is always good for taking social taboos and running them though a meat grinder!
Momma Finch: God bless you! I’m sorry to hear about the sickness in your family. Fell free to rant any time. Hell that’s what I made this blog for!
BW: I didn’t know you were a bioscientist. That’s pretty sweet. I used to read a lot of Lewis Thomas, which always got me thinking on a lot of philosophical/medical issues. Rockin’ stuff.
Mike: Yeah, I saw that. Definitely disturbing. Again, it pulled the focus away from the issue. We weren’t talking about abortion or killing off potential children. This was about wasting things being thrown away already.
Hey Josh, as always the site is great. I hope you are saving all of your posts so you can write a book someday. I definitely smell a best seller.
Now, the real reason I post. Upon surfing YouTube yesterday I ran across a trailer for an upcoming movie while looking for video from Iraq. The new film is called “The War Tapes”. I was curious if you have heard of this film? If yes, what is your take on it? http://www.thewartapes.com