Stem Cell Research - Stover Challenges Shimkus over his Illogical and Misleading Position
The President and Congressman John Shimkus (R-IL19) have almost always (more than 80% of the time) been on the same side of a debate. In the most recent national debate, Shimkus and President Bush seem to share a common cause – namely, no federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.
The President used his first veto on a bill which Congressman Shimkus voted against, a bill that would have, under strict guidelines, allowed federal funding for such life-saving research.
It is not every day that the American people see an issue misrepresented as much as this one has been. The president announced his veto in the presence of children born through in vitro fertilization, asserting that such actions would infringe on the right of an embryo to live and become the beautiful child sitting on the president’s lap.
The problem with this argument is that, in short, it is entirely untrue. Under the guidelines set in this bill, not a single child would be denied the right to live because of stem cell research. In fact, the bills calls for the federal funding of research only from embryo’s that are scheduled for destruction.
Stem cells are cells that have not specialized. They have not yet become heart cells or brain cells or lung cells or muscle cells. Scientists believe that they have incredible potential in the curing of such debilitating diseases as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and some lines have shown significant usefulness in bone-marrow transplants for Leukemia patients. While adult stem-cells and cells from umbilical blood have been used, there is no argument in the scientific community that the most miracle-making potential lies in embryonic stem-cells.
Embryonic stem cells come from embryos created under laboratory conditions for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. Whenever IVF is pursued by potential parents, several embryos are created in order to produce one that has the potential to implant and grow into a child. The process thus creates embryos that are deemed unsuitable, and are scheduled for destruction.
If the President had signed this bill, scientists could have taken stem cells from those embryos with no life-creating potential, and given them life saving potential. Scientists could have grown and studied new and numerous lines of stem cells, and medical research could have taken unbelievable leaps.
Instead, those extra embryos created in every fertilization attempt will see no purpose other than destruction. Congressman Shimkus, in voting against this bill, and President Bush, in vetoing it, stand at odds with a vast majority of Americans when they stand at odds with the continuation of this lifesaving research. They also stand at odds with science, and the pursuit of miracle cures for people with spinal chord injuries, diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Leukemia, and a host of other diseases.
Those who, like the President and Mr. Shimkus, fall on the wrong side of this issue, have been misrepresenting the facts, misleading the public, and, more importantly, misrepresenting the people who elected them.
The President used his first veto on a bill which Congressman Shimkus voted against, a bill that would have, under strict guidelines, allowed federal funding for such life-saving research.
It is not every day that the American people see an issue misrepresented as much as this one has been. The president announced his veto in the presence of children born through in vitro fertilization, asserting that such actions would infringe on the right of an embryo to live and become the beautiful child sitting on the president’s lap.
The problem with this argument is that, in short, it is entirely untrue. Under the guidelines set in this bill, not a single child would be denied the right to live because of stem cell research. In fact, the bills calls for the federal funding of research only from embryo’s that are scheduled for destruction.
Stem cells are cells that have not specialized. They have not yet become heart cells or brain cells or lung cells or muscle cells. Scientists believe that they have incredible potential in the curing of such debilitating diseases as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s, and some lines have shown significant usefulness in bone-marrow transplants for Leukemia patients. While adult stem-cells and cells from umbilical blood have been used, there is no argument in the scientific community that the most miracle-making potential lies in embryonic stem-cells.
Embryonic stem cells come from embryos created under laboratory conditions for the purpose of in vitro fertilization. Whenever IVF is pursued by potential parents, several embryos are created in order to produce one that has the potential to implant and grow into a child. The process thus creates embryos that are deemed unsuitable, and are scheduled for destruction.
If the President had signed this bill, scientists could have taken stem cells from those embryos with no life-creating potential, and given them life saving potential. Scientists could have grown and studied new and numerous lines of stem cells, and medical research could have taken unbelievable leaps.
Instead, those extra embryos created in every fertilization attempt will see no purpose other than destruction. Congressman Shimkus, in voting against this bill, and President Bush, in vetoing it, stand at odds with a vast majority of Americans when they stand at odds with the continuation of this lifesaving research. They also stand at odds with science, and the pursuit of miracle cures for people with spinal chord injuries, diabetes, Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s, Leukemia, and a host of other diseases.
Those who, like the President and Mr. Shimkus, fall on the wrong side of this issue, have been misrepresenting the facts, misleading the public, and, more importantly, misrepresenting the people who elected them.
