SirJohn
11-03-2005, 06:28 PM
I came across this in the news. Be patient I'm not here to talk Yes or no myself over stem cells.
Well if So Cal get's Snoop Dog this is one up. :)
From Independent Collegian
Home > Forum
Stagnant stem cells
By Ryan Vasko
Published: Thursday, November 3, 2005
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1
Imagine being diagnosed with a terminal illness, something that would slowly pull you away from everything you've done and known in your life. Imagine the certainty provided by medical science that you were sick beyond recovery.
Now imagine being told that a cure for your infliction could exist, but it couldn't be made available to you because certain people disagreed with the way it would come about.
Would you be just a tad upset?
Would you wonder why, as a citizen of one of the world's leading innovators of science, medicine and technology, you were being denied the chance to continue living a full life?
Or, would you just say, "Meh, I've had a good run. What's on TV tonight?"
If something like this were to happen to you today, you would be forced to go with the latter because while the "compassionate conservative" champ, good ol' Dubya, is still at the wheel, the progress of medical research for curing debilitating diseases is in trouble.
But the mere notion of saving lives through this research should be enough to give doctors license to carry it out.
I'm not here to tell you about what it could do.
Instead, I'm here to wonder why are a faction of Americans allowed to use their religious beliefs to curb the actions and advancement of science? Did someone lose a bet?
The main argument of the anti-stem cell research movement appears to be that God would not want scientists to use blank, non-developed cells from unused embryos for research that could wipe out Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and a laundry list of other terrible diseases. (And I'm not talking about aborted fetuses; I'm talking about eggs donated for en vitro fertilization that would be discarded anyway.)
I do understand that many Americans, including some Republican politicians, oppose the research if it is to be government-funded.
After all, we don't want to put any more stress on an already fragile economy. But, if that's the hurdle that would need to be cleared for the study to become a reality, why isn't it a higher priority?
Why aren't we slashing more programs to fund it?
We could surely skim some off the top, maybe some of the millions in Iraq reconstruction contracts being handed out to buddies of the Bush administration. But I digress.
Anyone who has known a person living with Parkinson's, as an example, would do whatever it takes to rid that person of the disease.
I once encountered it rather unexpectedly after a Notre Dame football game when my cousin Rick and I met Muhammad Ali.
We were leaving the stadium after the Irish had just handed our Michigan Wolverines a heartbreaking 28-20 loss, and on our way to drown our sorrows in a fifth of Captain Morgan's and lots of Budweisers. On the way, someone mentioned to us that Ali (who owns a home near South Bend and apparently enjoys attending Irish games) was seated in a Navigator in a nearby lot.
We ambled in front of the SUV, leering like idiots, and caught Ali's eye.
All of a sudden, he raised a shaky hand toward us. I stopped, dumbfounded.
"Muhammad Ali is pointing at me."
We went to the window, which Ali had just rolled down.
I babbled out some version of, "It's an honor to meet you," as I shook the hand of one of the only athletes my old man said would never be duplicated. Ali nodded and shook a fist at us, saying, "Better luck next year."
Nothing could bother me for the rest of the day. I had just met Muhammad Freakin' Ali.
When the novelty wore off after a few days, though, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Here was a man who made his name by being outspoken and flamboyant, a titan whose greasy-fast talk was surpassed only by his lightning-fast hands in the ring, and he'd been reduced to a shadow of his former self after succumbing to Parkinson's.
Even someone who had risen to such celebrity status, which, in this country, is usually a ticket to the best care, is unable to be cured of his disease.
We can't let the possibility to save millions of lives pass us by.
To let Ali be the champ again, and to do what is right for the American people, we have to allow stem cell research to become a reality.
- Ryan Vasko is an IC columnist and a senior majoring in English.
Well if So Cal get's Snoop Dog this is one up. :)
From Independent Collegian
Home > Forum
Stagnant stem cells
By Ryan Vasko
Published: Thursday, November 3, 2005
Article Tools: Page 1 of 1
Imagine being diagnosed with a terminal illness, something that would slowly pull you away from everything you've done and known in your life. Imagine the certainty provided by medical science that you were sick beyond recovery.
Now imagine being told that a cure for your infliction could exist, but it couldn't be made available to you because certain people disagreed with the way it would come about.
Would you be just a tad upset?
Would you wonder why, as a citizen of one of the world's leading innovators of science, medicine and technology, you were being denied the chance to continue living a full life?
Or, would you just say, "Meh, I've had a good run. What's on TV tonight?"
If something like this were to happen to you today, you would be forced to go with the latter because while the "compassionate conservative" champ, good ol' Dubya, is still at the wheel, the progress of medical research for curing debilitating diseases is in trouble.
But the mere notion of saving lives through this research should be enough to give doctors license to carry it out.
I'm not here to tell you about what it could do.
Instead, I'm here to wonder why are a faction of Americans allowed to use their religious beliefs to curb the actions and advancement of science? Did someone lose a bet?
The main argument of the anti-stem cell research movement appears to be that God would not want scientists to use blank, non-developed cells from unused embryos for research that could wipe out Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and a laundry list of other terrible diseases. (And I'm not talking about aborted fetuses; I'm talking about eggs donated for en vitro fertilization that would be discarded anyway.)
I do understand that many Americans, including some Republican politicians, oppose the research if it is to be government-funded.
After all, we don't want to put any more stress on an already fragile economy. But, if that's the hurdle that would need to be cleared for the study to become a reality, why isn't it a higher priority?
Why aren't we slashing more programs to fund it?
We could surely skim some off the top, maybe some of the millions in Iraq reconstruction contracts being handed out to buddies of the Bush administration. But I digress.
Anyone who has known a person living with Parkinson's, as an example, would do whatever it takes to rid that person of the disease.
I once encountered it rather unexpectedly after a Notre Dame football game when my cousin Rick and I met Muhammad Ali.
We were leaving the stadium after the Irish had just handed our Michigan Wolverines a heartbreaking 28-20 loss, and on our way to drown our sorrows in a fifth of Captain Morgan's and lots of Budweisers. On the way, someone mentioned to us that Ali (who owns a home near South Bend and apparently enjoys attending Irish games) was seated in a Navigator in a nearby lot.
We ambled in front of the SUV, leering like idiots, and caught Ali's eye.
All of a sudden, he raised a shaky hand toward us. I stopped, dumbfounded.
"Muhammad Ali is pointing at me."
We went to the window, which Ali had just rolled down.
I babbled out some version of, "It's an honor to meet you," as I shook the hand of one of the only athletes my old man said would never be duplicated. Ali nodded and shook a fist at us, saying, "Better luck next year."
Nothing could bother me for the rest of the day. I had just met Muhammad Freakin' Ali.
When the novelty wore off after a few days, though, I couldn't help but feel a pang of sorrow.
Here was a man who made his name by being outspoken and flamboyant, a titan whose greasy-fast talk was surpassed only by his lightning-fast hands in the ring, and he'd been reduced to a shadow of his former self after succumbing to Parkinson's.
Even someone who had risen to such celebrity status, which, in this country, is usually a ticket to the best care, is unable to be cured of his disease.
We can't let the possibility to save millions of lives pass us by.
To let Ali be the champ again, and to do what is right for the American people, we have to allow stem cell research to become a reality.
- Ryan Vasko is an IC columnist and a senior majoring in English.