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Rana Alhadi
Katrina Newsom
English 1020
April 23, 2010
The Proposals
Stem cell research is a highly controversial topic among the average people and
politicians. Adult, umbilical cord, and embryonic stem cells are researched and used to
repair and replace damaged tissues that might have caused cancer or other kinds of
diseases. The three types of stem cell research are used for the same reason but are
obtained differently. And from where they are obtained is where the issue ascends.
Stem cell research may one day provide treatments for many diseases; including
Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, diabetes, paralysis and cancer, but ethical consideration must
be addressed in order for scientist to utilize human embryos for medical research.
There are two issues regarding stem cell research, they are if embryonic stem cells
should or shouldn’t be used for examinations and how would stem cell research be
funded. Regarding to the two issues, I believe that embryonic stem cell research should
be legal only if the embryos used are excess embryos donated from fertility treatments
and only adult and embryonic stem cells be funded by the federal government.
Embryonic stem cell research issue should be acknowledged by everyone,
because it is a morality issue. This type of issue affects everyone because the
destruction of a human life is in question. If it is ignored then the advocates for legalizing
embryonic stem cell research may then encourage human reproductive cloning, which
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is even a greater moral controversy. In the article called Therapeutic Cloning Would
Lead to Human Reproductive Cloning, Stuart Newman states
Advocates of research using cloned human embryos claim that the path to
curing many of humankind's most terrible afflictions will be found through
the production of embryonic stem cells that are genetically matched to
prospective patients. But what is not generally appreciated is how, by
simply following the logic of scientific and medical reasoning, the way
would be paved for a "Brave New World" in which cloning technology will
eventually be extended to produce even fully-developed clonal humans.
(Third paragraph)
Cells derived from embryos would offer greater medical benefits. One day in the future
generations, after people are used to the common use of embryonic stem cells, they
might then approve of using tissues (a bundle of stem cells) from viable fetuses for
medical reasons. So we should prevent this future result from happening by starting
with the prevention or the limitation of embryonic stem cell research.
To solve the ethical controversy I believe that embryonic stem cell research
should be limited to certain restrictions. Research on embryonic stem cells should be on
only embryos obtained from the excess embryos that were initially obtained for fertility
treatments. This would satisfy both sides of the controversy because embryonic stem
cell research is offered, which satisfies the advocates in favor of embryonic stem cell
research, yet of course very difficult to acquire unlike adult and umbilical cord stem
cells, which satisfies the people not in favor of the research. It is difficult to obtain
embryonic stem cells because the majority of people under fertility treatments would
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want all of their embryos, so they wouldn’t be donating them to the research. There
should be a law that declares only embryos donated from fertility treatments are legal to
use for embryonic stem cell study. Additional to the law there should be a written
penalty for those who obtain the embryo stem cells illegally. The penalty of those who
obtain stem cells from embryos not donated from fertility treatments will be the same
punishment as murders accused of first degree murder. In Michigan, a person guilty of
first degree murder is punished by imprisonment for life, therefore a person guilty of
obtaining embryonic stem cells unlawfully is punished by imprisonment for life.
According to The Lectric Law Library, the legal definition of first degree murder is
In order for someone to be found guilty of first degree murder the
government must prove that the person killed another person; the person
killed the other person with malice aforethought; and the killing was
premeditated. To kill with malice aforethought means to kill either
deliberately and intentionally or recklessly with extreme disregard for
human life. Premeditation means with planning or deliberation. The
amount of time needed for premeditation of a killing depends on the
person and the circumstances. It must be long enough, after forming the
intent to kill, for the killer to have been fully conscious of the intent and to
have considered the killing.
People that are accused of acquiring the embryonic stem cells illegally are accused of
first degree murder because they are killing a human life deliberately and intentionally
with disregard of its life. And people who donated the embryos illegally, for example a
woman purposely gets pregnant with intent to give her embryo for research in exchange
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for something (e.g. money) should be charged with first degree murder because they
“premeditated” or planned for the destroying of the fragile human life.
Another issue, which I believe is the main concern regarding stem cell research,
is federal funding. Some people argue that embryonic stem cell research should not be
funded by the government and others disagree. In March 10, 2010 President Obama
lifted the restrictions on the use of federal money for embryonic stem cell research. He
said
Today, with the Executive Order I am about to sign, we will bring the
change that so many scientists and researchers; doctors and innovators;
patients and loved ones have hoped for, and fought for, these past eight
years: we will lift the ban on federal funding for promising embryonic stem
cell research. We will vigorously support scientists who pursue this
research. And we will aim for America to lead the world in the discoveries
it one day may yield.( First paragraph)
What does President Obama mean when he said, “…the discoveries it one day may
yield?” What discoveries? Human cloning? I personally believe that President Obama
should not have agreed for the funding of embryonic stem cell research because in the
future we cannot prevent human cloning from happening. The future will be made up of
a generation that’s used to the idea of human embryonic stem cell research, as a result
human cloning would not be any different or a concern to the new generation.
Michael D. Tanner,the director of health and welfare studies at the Cato Institute,
said in his article, The Stem Cell Debate Is Really About Funding,
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The controversy about stem cell research is entirely about funding and
whether the government should be involved. Both sides of the debate are
guilty of injecting hyperbole and politics into the discussion. Since
government will never be able to separate politics from the issues, we
need to turn over funding for stem cell research to private investors and
get the government out of it. (2nd paragraph)
The stem cell dispute is really concerning if stem cells should be federal funded.
Federal funding should go to the research for umbilical and adult stem cell research not
embryonic stem cell research. I believe that funding for embryonic stem cell research
should be sponsored by individual citizens. These citizens are those of who are for
embryonic stem cell research. Federal funding shouldn’t be going to embryonic stem
cell research because then the people that are against will be compelled to pay taxes to
federal government for the research on embryonic stem cells. Adult and umbilical cord
stem cells are not an issue of morality, therefore funding wouldn’t be questioned.
However embryonic stem cell is, so it should not be funded by the federal government.
(Conclusion…)
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Work Cited
Newman, Stuart. "Therapeutic Cloning Would Lead to Human Reproductive Cloning."
Contemporary Issues Companion: Cloning. Ed. Sylvia Engdahl. Detroit:
Greenhaven Press, 2006. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Wayne
State University Library System. Web. 21 Apr. 2010
<http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=G
SRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010073242&source
=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lom_waynesu&version=1.0>.
The Lectric Law Library. From the 'Lectric Law Library's Lexicon Murder, First Degree.
1995 – 2010. Web. 21 Apr. 2010
<http://www.lectlaw.com/def2/m053.htm>.
U.S. News and World Report. President Obama's Speech on Stem Cell Executive
Order. March 9, 2010. Web. 22 Apr. 2010
<http://www.usnews.com/articles/news/obama/2009/03/09/president-obamasspeech-on-stem-cell-executive-order.html>.
Michael D. Tanner. "The Stem Cell Debate Is Really About Funding." At Issue:
Embryonic and Adult Stem Cells. Ed. Margaret Haerens. Detroit: Greenhaven
Press, 2009. Opposing Viewpoints Resource Center. Gale. Wayne State
University Library System. Web. 22 Apr. 2010
<http://find.galegroup.com.proxy.lib.wayne.edu/ovrc/infomark.do?&contentSet=G
SRC&type=retrieve&tabID=T010&prodId=OVRC&docId=EJ3010580208&source
=gale&srcprod=OVRC&userGroupName=lom_waynesu&version=1.0>.
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