Stem Cell Research

Obama is now letting the government fund all stem cell research. I am for this completely and I think there never should have been a ban in the first place. Stem cell research has so much potential to improve every facet of life; I think it is shame that it was limited.

For starters, I think it’s a no-brainer for why stem cells need to be researched. Human cells that can be grown into any type of cell to replace damaged tissues are in short supply. But if there becomes a new understanding for how they work, then the supply will grow. Ways to cure paralysis and 100% acceptance for organ transplants, I think those are pretty good pros.

I know that stem cell research was not completely illegal, adult stem cells were fine, but the problem lies with embryonic stem cells. When the stem cells from an embryo are taken for research, the embryo dies. This is where many people feel the problem is. Many people consider an embryo a human life and that it is murder to destroy one. I have my own problems with this because I feel life starts at a different point, but I’m not going to stray from stem cell right now.

So hypothetically, let us assume that life does start the second an egg is fertilized. The embryo is a living human being in this situation. Even with this being true, stem cell research should not have been banned. People argue that we are killing humans that have a chance at life. But really, these embryos have no chance. Embryos used for stem cell research are embryos that have been fertilized out side the body, or in vitro fertilization. When in vitro fertilization occurs, multiple eggs are taken from the woman and fertilized all producing a human life. Let’s say that 10 eggs are taken and fertilized, but the woman only wants 3 children. What happens to the 7 other embryos? They get frozen and eventually thrown away. Is this not killing a living person? Is throwing away an embryo acceptable and morally correct? People say that we are taking life when we use stem cells from an embryo, but they don’t mention how that same embryo eventually gets it life taken when it is thrown away. So I don’t understand why it is wrong to research the stem cells of an embryo, even if it kills the embryo. The embryo is going to die anyway, so why not use it to help save other lives instead of just letting it go to waste?