The ThinkTank

Abortion is a very contentious issue. Before I proceed with this article I would like to reiterate that the views here represent my own and are not meant to offend anyone. Personally, I am pro-choice. I feel that no woman should be forced to abort, or on the other hand, forced not to abort a birth. I know how beneficial a child can be. I have a very close friend who was given up for adoption by his mother and he is living a very happy and productive life. However, I feel that child birth is a sacred process that the woman needs to have full control over.

That said, I can proceed to argue the point of this article. Recently there has been a lot of controversy concerning federal funding for stem cells. Stem cells today from two sources, a human embryo or an adult. Stem cells have the potential to revolutionize medicine. Stem cells have the power to revolutionize medicine as much as, if not more than the advent of anti-biotics. Scientists have already seen preliminary results indicating that the use of stem cells for research could be the key to finding cures to diseases that are currently incurable such as Alzheimer's and diabetes. Further research on this topic could hold the key to shortening the lengthy wait-list for organ transplants.

Stem cell research occurs today but is privately funded. While this privately funded research could still achieve the breakthroughs promised by this technology, the pace at which the research could proceed would be aided tremendously if the National Institute of Health (NIH) decides to fund stem cell research.

The primary objection to the funding is that this move could be viewed as funding death. Indeed, the embryos used in these procedures do not survive. However, the embryos where the cells are obtained from would not live otherwise either. The cells are obtained from in vitro clinics where the most promising embryos are implanted in the mother and the remaining are frozen away to be discarded later. Why not use these embryo's, which are going to perish, to help grant several people a second chance at life.

I cannot stress enough how important I believe it is that we grant funding to stem cell research. One must never close the door on potential. Although it is necessary that we keep science in bounds, we must not be too conservative when drawing those lines. I would oppose cloning, etc. but when there is a potential to save lives we must act on the opportunity.