Is using embryonic stem cells for research immoral
or is trashing them the real crime?
(cz) President Bush this week once again refused to sign legislation into law that would have allowed federally funded scientists to do more research on embryonic stem cells. In rejecting the measure, Bush claimed that if it “became law it would compel American taxpayers … to support the deliberate destruction of human embryos.” No way, he said, would he “allow our nation to cross this moral line.”
Instead, he said that scientists should focus on research that does not require the destruction of dot-size embryos, such as on stem cells from adults and umbilical cord blood.
Proponents of the legislation were outraged, fuming that the only thing immoral was for the president to stand in the way of research that might one day lead to new therapies, cures even, for painful and debilitating disorders like Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, diabetes, heart disease, cancer….
They pointed out that the bill–which sets up ethical and reporting guidelines–would only permit federally funded scientists to experiment on stem cells extracted from embryos slated to be discarded by in vitro fertility (IVF) clinics that donors no longer want or need and choose to donate. more…
From: »Scientific American«