Obama Promotes Bad Science
On March 9, 2009, Obama lifted the ban on embryonic stem cell research. President Bush had formerly placed restrictions, and was only funding embryonic stem cell lines produced before August 9, 2001.
Once again, Barack Obama reveals his true stance on things – not the moderate BS he spewed day-in-and day-out while on campaign. Worst of all, he is promoting bad science.
I can easily argue why this is morally wrong from a religious standpoint, but I’ll stick to my argument of bad science.
Obama has just approved the use of taxpayer money to fund a science that has had no success in its research. The taxpayer money will fund embryonic stem cell research, which involves the murder of human embryos (babies), but has yet to be successful in treating diseases. This, in spite of the fact that Adult Stem Cell research (which does not involve destroying embryos and is described as “fragments of skin to create stem cells”) has been recognized as a better alternative and has been successful in treating various diseases.
Daniel McConchie wrote about the false hope of embryonic stem cell research on The Center for Bioethics Human Dignity website.
Mr. Hughes at the COG For Life blog states it best (in my opinion):
“Adult stem cells (or, more accurately, tissue stem cells) are regenerative cells of the human body that possess the characteristic of plasticity–the ability to specialize and develop into other tissues of the body. Beginning in an unspecialized and undeveloped state, they can be coaxed to become heart tissue, neural matter, skin cells, and a host of other tissues. They are found in our own organs and tissues such as fat, bone marrow, umbilical cord blood, placentas, neuronal sources, and olfactory tissue, which resides in the upper nasal cavity.[2] This simple fact has remarkable implications for medicine–diseased or damaged tissue can become healthy and robust through the infusion of such cells. This has consequently commanded the attention of many researchers as well as those suffering from disease.
It is necessary to note that the power of adult stem cells is not nebulously potential, but tangible and real, as it has produced wonderful results in multiple cases. These have been documented in clinical trials, that is, treatments with human patients. With adult stem cells, physicians have successfully treated autoimmune diseases such as lupus, multiple sclerosis, Crohn’s disease, and rheumatoid arthritis.[3] Furthermore, adult stem cells have helped to avert corneal degeneration and to restore vision in cases of blindness.[4] They have also restored proper cardiac function to heart attack sufferers[5] and improved movement in spinal cord injury patients.[”
It is worth reading the whole thing (note that he wrote this in 2004).
In 2007, the man who created Dolly the sheep by cloning, abandoned cloning altogether because he realized that adult stem cell research had the “best chance of leading to effective cures for chronic illnesses.”
You can find many more articles about the success of adult stem cell research just by Googling.
My point is this – why promote, and fund with taxpayer money, a science that has not yielded positive results and is at the center of a moral argument, when there is a better alternative? I can find no real reason other than eagerness to promote your political views.
If Obama were to admit that adult stem cell research has been more successful than embryonic stem cell research, he would essentially be saying that conservatives and many Republicans (including President Bush) were right, and that Democrats and liberal nuts were wrong.
President Obama, the man who campaigned on bringing people together, would rather keep Americans separated by lies than united in truth. Truth be damned with Mr. Obama – who needs truth when lies have gotten you the White House, and who needs truth when lies bring in more money to your causes, right?
Update: In doing further reading, I found someone that said it way better than I could and ties in the financial aspects of the argument. Good read.
