What Americans Do Not Understand About Embryonic Stem Cell Research

What is common among Mary Tyler Moore, Michael J. Fox, Dustin Hoffman, Harrison Ford, James Taylor, Warren Beatty, Robin Williams, Pierre Omidyar (Ebay founder), Bill Gates, Larry King, Calista Flockhart, Christopher Reeve (deceased), Senator Tom Harkins, Nancy Reagan and former Presidents Jimmy Carter, Gerald Ford and Bill Clinton?

All of the above are celebrities and public figures. They are also strong advocates of embryonic stem cell research. In other words, they unanimously believed in one thought: "Humans are not embryos who grew up." These celebrities do not think of themselves as "former embryos".

Sen. Tom Harkins of Ohio, particularly mentioned how human embryos are like "dots" at the end of a sentence. Harkins is correct in describing human embryos as made up of "clusters of dots." The "dots" refer to miniscule size of human cells that form a human embryo. It can easily be identifiable through nanotechnology. Senator Harkins, however, is incorrect in saying that embryonic "dots" are not the initial forms in human metamorphosis.

What exactly does human life look like in its initial stages?

Biology 101 tells us this fact: human beings were once human embryos. In fact, the US government has protected several endangered species from extinction through federal law. One of these animals is the "American Bald Eagle". The law states that any person will suffer serious consequences or legal penalties if found to have destroyed "the nests" of American Bald Eagles. How is it that the US government is preventing the extinction of the American Bald Eagles by protecting the eggs in its nest? The answer is because the US government desires to safeguard the existence of this species at its initial stages of its life, particularly in its "embryonic" stages.

The arguments of embryonic stem-cell research do not consider the earliest form of human development. For embryonic stem-cell research advocates, humanity starts when a baby comes out of a mother's womb. Thus, for them there will never be an "ethical issue" in the first place to debate on. Fetuses, much less human embryos, have no rights in our Constitution. It is the same line of thinking that prevailed in the 1800s in the political arena. African Americans have no rights as slaves. They can be disposed of at the whim of their masters.

What is the latest on Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

President Obama fulfilled his campaign promise by signing an executive order to reverse the ban on using taxpayer's money for stem cell research. President Obama argued that after a long contemplation of all sides to the debate, he favored the "majority". Thus, Obama is very much aware that stem cell research is dealing with the earliest form of human life. However, Obama feels his responsibility is to ease the suffering of those with incurable illnesses that stem cell research may possibly help.

Obama even said at CBSnews in March 2009, "I cannot guarantee that we will find the treatments and cures we seek. No president can promise that." Obama meant that even if stem cell research does not justify the unjustifiable, he strongly affirms that the US must not lose its global competitive advantage in the area of stem cell research. It is strategically important for our government to be in the forefront of discoveries in the sciences rather than being a champion of Bioethics.

Why are scientists persistent in Embryonic Stem Cell Research?

A scientist is a practical human being. A scientist will search for all available means to promote his researches. The scientist minds are designed to overcome all barriers related to their findings. Scientists will continually seek funding for its experiments. It is for this reason that universities utilize funding from federal sources. Some universities even have applied for "patents" on some cell lines. Universities are "cash cows" in disguise. The universities justify seeking funds to advance knowledge and cures for Parkinson's Disease, Spinal Cord Injury, Paralysis, Alzheimer's, Diabetes, heart diseases, strokes and other incurable illnesses. Tissue replacement therapies, the goals of embryonic stem cell research, sound like a justifiable endeavor especially for those whose family and lives were traumatized by these illnesses.

Did stem cell research halt prior to the Obama administration?

Stem cell research did not die the past years for it was largely funded through the private sector. The debate is whether we should use the hard earned money of the American people to further advance global competitiveness of America in science over the moral issues implicit to stem cell research. Obama's move to lift the legislation ban on stem cell research simply means that the government will use the American's taxpayer money for stem cell research. Obama believes we cannot let other nations win in this area of science. In other words, there is almost no limits to what scientist can do in using human embryos for stem cell research. It makes it easier for scientists to genetically manipulate DNAs in human embryos to whatever purpose it deems necessary. It might be difficult to draw the ethical line.

Conclusion:

The real main issue in the debate on embryonic stem cell research is about the difference in opinion on whether human embryos can be considered as part of humanity. For it is very difficult to imagine killing toddlers so we can save those afflicted with incurable diseases. It is easier to stomach killing embryonic "dots" to save people from dying of many illnesses. The "unborn human", also called human embryos, are not protected in the American constitution just as how " African American slaves" were not considered as having rights or "less than humans" in the 1800s. We also tend to forget what we learned from Hitler's use of human subjects in his experiments. "Each human life, in whatever stages, is valuable."

"Stem cell research can save lives" is the mantra of embryonic stem cell research proponents. On the other side of the spectrum, pro-life advocates are pointing to the embryos on the petri dish. If only these embryos can properly be nurtured in their human metamorphosis, it will probably say "What about my life?"

Father Ten Pacholzyck, Director of Education of the National Catholic Bioethics Center, states that "Each human being is a "former embryo." If Americans are in denial that human life starts as a tiny dot of embryo, then it can never recognize that a human embryo will be a person one day.

Sources:
"Obama Ends Stem Cell Research ban", CBS news
"Seeing them for what they are", Ted Neven, Focusonthefamily.org
"Adult Stem Cell Research", Father Ted Pacholzyck at the 2009 Charlotte Eucharistic Congress