Stem cells will save lives

Has anyone been able to catch an interview with Michael J. Fox lately? Or maybe you have seen a clip of Christopher Reeve at a charity event for spinal cord injury? Or maybe you have just come back from visiting your grandmother, only she can't remember who you are because her Alzheimer's is so advanced.\nRegardless of how close the connection, I am willing to venture a guess that every person reading this article is in some way linked to a debilitating disease -- whether they know it or not.\nPotential cures for these diseases are about to be swept under the rug. I am talking about the recent debates over stem cell research, and how President George W. Bush and other extremists are trying to destroy one of the biggest medical breakthroughs in history.\nBut before I get to the politics behind it, let me first give you a little bit of the scientific background.\nSo what exactly is stem cell research? Basically, after an egg is fertilized, specialized cells begin to form that can later develop into almost any human tissue. The idea is that scientists can isolate these tiny cells, and then manipulate them to point to cures for diseases. Now, why would anyone ever be against such a breakthrough? Well, the controversy all relates back to our good old extreme right wing friends. The reason most people are against stem cell research is because a fertilized egg must be destroyed in the process. Many religious eccentrics claim that scientists are taking one human life to make another more comfortable. These pro-life activists are overstepping the boundaries between what is life and what is not. They want millions of people to suffer because they believe a petri dish with some goo in it is a human life.\nIn fact, almost all the fertilized eggs that will be used are currently sitting frozen in fertility clinics and would otherwise never be touched. So, in essence, these critics want a glob of cells to sit frozen while people suffer. Now while this makes no sense to me, I guess it is crystal clear to good-old George W.\nIn a recent address to the nation, the president announced that he would allow limited funding for stem cell research. Basically, what Bush said was that he would allow funding for about 60 fertilized eggs that have already been destroyed. He would give no money for further research. My good friend Rev. Jerry Falwell called this act "Solmonic", but I prefer the phrase "sell-out".\nIt is obvious by Bush's response that he does support stem cell research but is too afraid of losing the extreme right wing vote to fund it. If he truly believes that destroying these eggs is wrong, why give money to someone who has already done it? Bush is more concerned with getting re-elected than ending the suffering of others.\nI cannot tell you how to feel on this issue, but I will say this -- Americans are going to have to continually decide for themselves what should be considered human life and what should not. Bush and other extremists would have us believe life begins when a scientist injects sperm into an egg, but I am just not buying that. I personally would rather destroy some cells than watch people suffer.