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Misrepresentations Continue to Drive Politics of Stem Cell Research

I came across this article on stem cell research via Beldar

Joined by the widow of paralyzed actor Christopher Reeve, Democratic challenger John Kerry on Thursday said President Bush's policy on stem cell research was akin to favoring the candle lobby over electricity.

"It is wrong to tell scientists that they can't cross the frontiers of new knowledge," the Massachusetts senator said. "It is wrong morally and it is wrong economically, and when I am president, we will change this policy and we will lead the world in stem cell research."

Kerry, running neck-and-neck with Bush in national opinion polls, wants to expand federally funded embryonic stem cell research that could some day be used to engineer personally tailored cells to repair injury or treat disease.

But Bush has restricted research to already existing lines of stem cells and opposes the use of human embryos as a new source.

I see several problems with how this story was reported and John Kerry's statements. First, I agree with others about the ridiculous exploitation of those who have suffered for political purposes. Second, stem cell research has not been restricted. There are presently no laws banning stem cell research (even on embryos). Third, there is a distinction between adult and embryonic stem cell research. Adult stem cells are successfully used every day for therapeutic purposes and new research receives federal funding. Embryonic stem cell research, which presently has no therapeutic application and involves the destruction of a human life, is legal but not federally funded except for existing "lines".

Fourth, Kerry states Bush's policy of not funding stem cell research leading to the destruction of human life is morally "wrong". On what basis is Kerry deriving his morals? It can't be his faith because he previously said, "I don't like abortion. I believe life does begin at conception. But I can't take my Catholic belief, my article of faith, and legislate it on a Protestant or a Jew or an atheist . . . who doesn't share it. We have separation of church and state in the United States of America."

Whether one is for or against embryonic stem cell research it should be obvious that this issue has been politicized and reported in a highly misleading manner for the benefit of the Kerry campaign.

Update:

Jay Ambrose discusses similar distortions in this article. "William Saletan wrote in the online magazine Slate last August that stem-cell research had become something like a religion to the Democrats, and that was before John Edwards' incredible words the other day," he writes.

Posted by tim at October 22, 2004 7:53 AM

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