In politics, the easy choices are between good and evil. The hard choices arise when two moral virtues collide. And a growing chorus of voices is now saying that President Bush made the wrong choice when it comes to stem cell research.
This field holds great promise for medical breakthroughs that could treat a wide range of disabling illnesses, from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s diseases to cancer and diabetes. There are no guaranteed results, and much work lies ahead, but federal policy is choking research instead of encouraging it.
kAm%96 AC@3=6> :D E92E ?6H=J 76CE:=:K65 9F>2? 6>3CJ@D 92G6 E@ 36 56DEC@J65 :? @C56C E@ 4@?5F4E E96 C6D62C49] !C6D:56?E qFD9 >:89E H6== 92G6 2 >@C2= @3;64E:@? E@ E9:D AC@46DD[ 2D 96 5@6D E@ 23@CE:@?[ H9:49 6IA=2:?D 9:D 564:D:@? E@ C6DEC:4E 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 @7 DE6> 46== C6D62C49] qFE :E’D 4=62C E92E E96C6 :D 2=D@ 2 A@=:E:42= >@E:G6 369:?5 9:D @3;64E:@?] w:D 92C5\=:?6 2?E:\23@CE:@? DFAA@CE6CD 2C6 252>2?E=J @AA@D65 E@ E96 H9@=6 :562 @7 DE6> 46== C6D62C49[ 2?5 :? E9:D 6=64E:@? J62C – H:E9 A@==D D9@H:?8 2 G6CJ 4=@D6 4@?E6DE – qFD9 766=D 96 42??@E 277@C5 E@ 2=:6?2E6 9:D 32D6]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DF=E @7 9:D >@C2= 2?5 A@=:E:42= 42=4F=2E:@?[ 9@H6G6C[ :D 5:D2DEC@FD] !6@A=6 H9@D6 =:G6D 4@F=5 36 :>AC@G65 3J ?6H E96C2A:6D 4@?E:?F6 E@ H2:E 2?5 DF776C] %96 A@E6?E:2= 36?67:ED @7 DE6AA65\FA C6D62C49 72C @FEH6:89 E96 >@C2= 92K2C5 @7 56DEC@J:?8 E96 6>3CJ@D]k^Am
kAmx? 724E[ E96C6 2C6 c__[___ @7 E96D6 6>3CJ@D DE@C65 :? 76CE:=:EJ 4=:?:4D[ 2?5 >@DE @7 E96> H@F=5 36 5:D42C565 2?JH2J :7 ?@E 5@?2E65 7@C C6D62C49] $@ E96 AC6D:56?E’D A@D:E:@? 92D ?@ AC24E:42= G2=F6] &?=:<6 @AA@D:E:@? E@ 23@CE:@?[ :E 5@6D ?@E D2G6 E96 =:G6D @7 2?J 49:=5C6? H9@ H@F=5 @E96CH:D6 36 3@C?] #2E96C[ :E :?9:3:ED E96 AC@8C6DD E92E 4@F=5 >2<6 >2?J =:G6D 36EE6C]k^Am
kAmp=>@DE E9C66 J62CD 28@[ E96 AC6D:56?E EC:65 E@ 72D9:@? 2 4@>AC@>:D6] w6 D2:5 E92E 7656C2= 7F?5:?8 4@F=5 4@?E:?F6 7@C 2?J 6IA6C:>6?ED @? DE6> 46==D 2=C625J 56C:G65 7C@> 6>3CJ@D] qFE 96 32CC65 7F?5:?8 7@C ?6H DE6> 46== “=:?6D” 4C62E65 27E6C pF8FDE a__`]k^Am
kAmpE E96 E:>6[ E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? 4=2:>65 E92E fg =:?6D H@F=5 DE:== 36 2G2:=23=6 7@C C6D62C496CD FD:?8 AF3=:4 >@?6J] qFE E92E AC65:4E:@? 92D AC@G6? HC@?8] u6H6C E92? a_ =:?6D 2C6 2G2:=23=6[ 2?5 >@DE @7 E9@D6 92G6 366? 4@?E2>:?2E65 2?5 2C6 ?@E FD623=6]k^Am
kAm%96 C6DF=Ei AC@8C6DD :D DF77@42E:?8[ p>6C:42? D4:6?E:DED 2C6 D9J:?8 2H2J 7C@> E96 7:6=5[ 2?5 @E96C 4@F?EC:6D 2C6 >@G:?8 29625 @7 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :? DE6> 46== C6D62C49] p?5 A2E:6?ED 2?5 E96:C 72>:=:6D 2C6 =@D:?8 9@A6]k^Am
kAm%96 D:EF2E:@? :D @FEC286@FD[ 2?5 E96 @FE4CJ :D 8C@H:?8] u:7EJ\6:89E @7 E96 `__ D6?2E@CD 92G6 ?@H D:8?65 2 =6EE6C A=625:?8 H:E9 E96 AC6D:56?E E@ C6=2I 9:D C6DEC:4E:@?D @? 7656C2= 7:?2?4:?8] $EC:<:?8=J[ E96 D:8?6CD :?4=F56 DF49 DE2=H2CE #6AF3=:42? 4@?D6CG2E:G6D 2D %C6?E {@EE @7 |:DD:DD:AA:[ ~CC:? w2E49 @7 &E29 2?5 z2J q2:=6J wFE49:D@? 7C@> E96 AC6D:56?E’D 9@>6 DE2E6 @7 %6I2D]k^Am
kAm%9:D =6EE6C 7@==@HD E96 962CE76=E 2AA62= @7 }2?4J #6282?[ H9@ H6?E AF3=:4 ;FDE 367@C6 96C 9FD32?5’D 562E9 27E6C 2 =6?8E9J 32EE=6 H:E9 p=K96:>6C’D 5:D62D6i “q642FD6 @7 E9:D[ x’> 56E6C>:?65 E@ 5@ H92E6G6C x 42? E@ D2G6 @E96C 72>:=:6D 7C@> E9:D A2:?]”k^Am
kAm~?6 2?DH6C[ D96 D2:5[ :D E@ AC@>@E6 DE6> 46== C6D62C49i “(6’G6 =@DE D@ >F49 E:>6 2=C625J] x ;FDE C62==J 42?’E 362C E@ =@D6 2?J >@C6]”k^Am
kAmtG6? E96 AC6D:56?E’D @H? D4:6?E:7:4 25G:D6CD 2C6 H6:89:?8 :? @? E96 D:56 @7 8C62E6C 7656C2= DFAA@CE] sC] t=:2D +6C9@F?:[ 5:C64E@C @7 E96 }2E:@?2= x?DE:EFE6D @7 w62=E9[ HC@E6 E@ r@?8C6DD C646?E=J E92E[ “7C@> 2 AFC6=J D4:6?E:7:4 A6CDA64E:G6[” >@C6 C6D62C49 677@CED “>2J H6== DA665” E96 3C62<E9C@F89D E92E 2C6 D@ D@C6=J ?66565]k^Am
kAmu@CEF?2E6=J[ @E96C D@FC46D @7 7F?5:?8 2C6 DE6AA:?8 7@CH2C5] r2=:7@C?:2?D H:== G@E6 ?6IE 72== @? 2 Sb 3:==:@? 3@?5 :DDF6 2:>65 2E 7:?2?4:?8 `_ J62CD @7 DE6> 46== 6IA6C:>6?E2E:@?] }6H y6CD6J v@G] y:> |4vC66G6J C646?E=J D:8?65 2 >62DFC6 4C62E:?8 E96 7:CDE DE2E6\7F?565 DE6> 46== C6D62C49 46?E6C] p?5 2 S`d >:==:@? AC:G2E6 8C2?E H:== 6DE23=:D9 2 D:>:=2C 724:=:EJ 2E E96 (6:== r@C?6== |65:42= r@==686 :? }6H *@C<]k^Am
kAm~E96C 4@F?EC:6D D66 2 8@=56? 492?46 E@ @FEA246 E96 &?:E65 $E2E6D :? 2 7:6=5 E92E 4@F=5 6?92?46 ?2E:@?2= H62=E9 2D H6== 2D H6=72C6] p>6C:42’D 4@>A6E:E:G6 DE2?5:?8 :? E96 H@C=5 >2C<6EA=246 56A6?5D 962G:=J @? E649?@=@8:42= :??@G2E:@?[ 2?5 :? 2 7:6=5 E92E 4@F=5 8C@H 6?@C>@FD=J :? E96 J62CD 29625 E96 25>:?:DEC2E:@? :D EJ:?8 E96 92?5D @7 E96 4@F?ECJ’D 36DE D4:6?E:DED] vC62E qC:E2:? :D E2<:?8 6I24E=J E96 @AA@D:E6 2AAC@249i df C6D62C49 8C2?ED H6C6 C646?E=J 2H2C565 E@ qC:E:D9 D4:6?E:DED H@C<:?8 :? DE6> 46== C6D62C49]k^Am
kAm$F49 4@>A6E:E:@? :D ?@E =@DE @? E96 &]$] D6?2E@CD H9@ HC@E6 E@ !C6D:56?E qFD9[ H9@ H2C?i “s6DA:E6 E96 724E E92E &]$] D4:6?E:DED H6C6 E96 7:CDE E@ 56C:G6 9F>2? 6>3CJ@?:4 DE6> 46==D[ =6256CD9:A :? E9:D 2C62 :D D9:7E:?8 E@ @E96C 4@F?EC:6D]”k^Am
kAmuC@> 6G6CJ A6CDA64E:G6 – >65:42=[ >@C2=[ 64@?@>:4 – E96 AC6D:56?E’D A@D:E:@? @? DE6> 46== C6D62C49 >2<6D ?@ D6?D6] w6 D9@F=5 =:DE6? E@ 4@?D6CG2E:G6D =:<6 %C6?E {@EE 2?5 ~CC:? w2E49 2?5 }2?4J #6282? 2?5 492?86 :E :>>65:2E6=J]k^Am
kAmr@<:6 #@36CED :D E96 2FE9@C @7 E96 ?6H 3@@< “u@F?5:?8 |@E96CDi %96 (@>6? (9@ #2:D65 ~FC }2E:@?” W(:==:2> |@CC@HX]k^Am
