To simply answer the question, yes, political setbacks will destroy the medical research efforts in stem cell research. So much of what we do as a society is driven by politics, and right now, we have an opportunity to utilize cells that could save the lives of many but personal feelings from those involved in politics override the sufferring of those who could benefit from stem cell research.
Political setbacks have already moved the United States behind most industrialized countries that have been heavily involved in stem cell research because we claim to have a separation of church and state that is obviously non-existent and the beliefs of those that are very much religious and conservative are damning those of more liberal Christians and non-Christians. They claim we are killing babies because the cells are harvested from embryos. But what they fail to realize that we could be utilizing leftover embryos from in-vitro fertilization that would benefit the masses and not be destroying anything that would not be otherwise destroyed. Because of their beliefs, the USA fertility clinics end up throwing out embryos that could potentially contain the precious cells that could save the lives of many.
How is it unethical or immoral to utilize these embryos? We do not have to create any in a petri dish because these are available to us. Many believe that life begins at conception. How can life begin at conception? Are you going to honestly tell someone that a mass of cells is a human being? Yes, there is potential. But how is there any potential when these embryos are just going to be disposed of in the daily trash if they do not get used? Politicians are being unethical and immoral by allowing the disposal of potential. If human life is as sacred as they make it to be in this debate, then the stem cell research issue should be a non-issue.
While our politicians argue over the ethical side of stem cell research, countries such as Germany and France continue to move forward in their progress of developing uses for stem cells. While our politicians scream about the right to life, those who could be saved by stem cell research die. It is unfortunate that our politicians put so much effort into “protecting” the rights of the potential humans, rather than trying to save the humans that vote for them, depend on them, and provide to this country.
As our stem cell research continues on a downward slope towards failure, other countries will begin to be able to provide life saving cures for their faithful citizens. In a time of economic turmoil we should be focusing our efforts on this area, but instead, we continue to let other countries do all of the work, and we reep none of the benefits from it.
