stem cells----------------------------art

embryonic stem cell colonies from the lab of developmental biologist James Thompson
Source: University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Used with permission © University of Wisconsin Board of Regents

Michael Kinsley, a distinguished journalist now working as editorial and opinion editor at the Los Angeles Times, disagrees with President Bush's policy towards embryonic stem cell research. Kinsely suffers from Parkinson's and he takes Bush's efforts to quash embryonic stem cell research personally:

"If he's got both his facts and his logic wrong—and he has—Bush's alleged moral anguish on this subject is unimpressive. In fact, it is insulting to the people (including me) whose lives could be saved or redeemed by the medical breakthroughs Bush's stem-cell policy is preventing.

"This is not a policy disagreement. Or rather, it is not only a policy disagreement. If the president is not a complete moron—and he probably is not—he is a hardened cynic, staging moral anguish he does not feel, pandering to people he cannot possibly agree with, and sacrificing the future of many American citizens for short-term political advantage.

"Is that a good enough reason to dislike him personally?"

You can read the piece from which this excerpt comes in its entirety in "Taking Bush Personally".

You can read a more recent Kinsley piece on stem cell research, in which he discusses the contribution of First Lady Laura Bush to the embryonic stem cell debate, in "False Hopes Beats No Hope.

Froma Harrop is a syndicated columnist who also feels that embryonic stem cell research ought to be vigorously pursued, at least in part because she feels that the ability of adult stem cells to cure disease has been greatly exaggerated by opponents of the embryonic alternative. She writes:

"Opponents of embryonic stem-cell research must contend with polls showing that 73 percent of the public supports it. So they have created their own scientific reality. They drag in scientists who claim that adult stem cells, taken from bone marrow or umbilical cords, can also produce cures — no need to destroy embryos.

"Serious biologists say that's nonsense. Adult stem cells may have their uses, but only the embryonic stem cells can divide and produce new cells for replacing tissue. Really, if the nation's biotech centers thought adult stem cells would do the trick, would they be out fighting the religious right over the use of embryos?"

You can read her comments on this issue in their entirety in "Foes of stem-cell research create their own scientific reality".

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