Friday, May 27, 2005

THE STEM CELL WAR

This is not a post attempting to resolve the stem cell battle. However, I was troubled by a statement made on the American Family Association web page http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/5/afa/262005mf.asp :
Senator Specter apparently wants a place on your wall. Here's why he shouldn't get the chance.

Pick your poster child: Arlen Specter, bald from chemotherapy treatments for Hodgkin's disease, saying that he is Exhibit A for embryonic stem-cell research ... or those cute little kids in the AP photo with this caption: "President Bush appeared at the White House with babies and toddlers born of test-tube embryos, some wearing shirts that read 'former embryo.'"

I don't know how many of you have seen Senator Specter in the recent senate debates on judicial appointments, but he is bald as a result of his battle with cancer. My heart goes out to him irrespective of his political positions. Senator Specter is not well-liked by conservatives and the religious right because of his many disagreements with them. However, I hate to think that "older" suffering people are to be intentionally brushed aside by images of vibrant, healthy children, especially by a Christian pro-family lobby. An older person's plight should be as great a concern to Christians as an embryo or "cute little kid." Picking a poster child--it smacks too much of eugenics and Social Darwinism.

1 comment:

anna said...

I still don't understand the huge focus on embryonic stem cells. While they may be "purer" for use, many studies have been done (sorry I can't reference specifics right now) that show adult stem cells to work extremely well in treating various cancers and diseases. Why not expend the research on adult stem cells right now??