Do Not Despair

07/19/06 General, Research, Events

Moments ago, President Bush vetoed legislation that would allow federal funds to be used to create new stem cell lines. 63 senators backed HR 810 yesterday. 39 voted against it. This represents a sizeable split on the part of a number of Republicans.

This is a defeat, and it slows down the potential that we all recognize for a treatment for numerous diseases. Nevertheless, do not despair. There is still ample stem cell research occurring. It is not illegal to perform stem cell research. There are countries, companies and universities creating new stem cell lines, and pursuing research with those stem cells.

This page from the Geron Corporation highlights a human clinical trial it hopes to sponsor to treat spinal cord injuries. Its results in animal experiments have been encouraging.

This blog post highlights an organization called the New York Stem Cell Foundation, which funds a stem cell lab staffed by scientists from prestigious universities. (This comes from a Parkinson’s disease site that has a lot in common with this one :) )

Many European and Asian countries have used government funds to propel stem cell research. Potential findings would very likely translate into treatments all over the world.

Back to The Politics Just moments after yesterday’s Senate vote, actor Michael J. Fox sent a letter to President George W. Bush, encouraging him to stand down from his veto threat.

“Embryonic stem cell research transforms embryos already marked for destruction into potentially life-saving research. I can think of no better affirmation of the culture of life.

“I am asking that you, with all compassion, stand up for what is right not only for America’s continued leadership in health, science and medicine, but for what is right for the future of the 100 million American families touched by debilitating diseases. Please Mr. President, sign this legislation.” Mr. Fox writes.

However, Michael J. Fox’s letter, and the influence of many others that reach the President could not change his mind. According to President Bush’s Press Secretary, Tony Snow, the President sides with many people who believe that harvesting stem cells is murder. In a Washington DC press briefing yesterday, Snow fielded the following question from a reporter:

“Can you remind us why the President believes that it is not appropriate to use – that it is more appropriate for stem cells to be thrown away than to be used, in this case, for medical research?”

Snow responds:

“The President – I don’t think that’s the choice that the President has presented. What the President has said is that he doesn’t want human life destroyed. Now, you may consider that insignificant, but the President has said – and you have had in a number of cases the Snowflake babies, where some of those fetuses have, in fact, been brought to term and have become human beings. The President believes strongly that for the purpose of research it’s inappropriate for the federal government to finance something that many people consider murder; he’s one of them.”

Snow continues:

“Furthermore, it is worth pointing out that this government did make available already existing lines – to sort of get back to your question, there were existing lines. And the most recent figures we have are 2004, but 85 percent of all the embryonic stem cell research on Earth was conducted using those lines. There is nothing that makes embryonic stem cell research illegal; it simply says that the federal government will not finance it. As you know, there are ongoing efforts in some states, including, I think, California and Massachusetts, to use state money for it, and I daresay if people think that there’s a market for it, they’re going to support it handsomely. The simple answer is he thinks murder is wrong.”

This is a fundamental moment for our democracy. So many people have broken the shackles of the conservative vs. liberal mental incarceration. People actually learned what a stem cell is and where it comes from. Millions of people recognized that stem cells could be a source of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. What a refreshing moment in political thought!

I would never try to shame a person’s faith, or mock them for following a precept of it. You need that faith, not just to get through this life, but also to make it through the eons of time where Parkinson’s and other afflictions will not follow. Personally, I I do want to point out that millions of people, who staunchly oppose abortion, recognize how millions of stem cells derived from an embryo could possibly save many lives someday. If this mathematical argument still violates your religious convictions, I respect that. Please hold fast to your faith.

Does this introduce progression down the abortion slippery slope? It is a very real risk and possibility. Could stem cell research ironically represent progression up the slippery slope and discourage abortion? Certainly. Paradoxically, embryonic stem cells also hold the potential to help elevate the pro-life stance and cancel out some pro-choice arguments. The power of the embryo to save and improve multiple lives indeed bespeaks the embryo’s value within hours of conception. It elevates the beauty and worth of life from its very inception. It cancels out the argument that we are mere blobs of protoplasm. It helps us to realize that each person represents something much larger than the here and now.