Obama to repeal stem cell funding ban on March 9th

[Holmes]

Speaking of stem cells, Canadians found a way to possibly convert skin cells into stem cells. A good time to fund research.

[Holmes]

Did people skip my post saying that they discovered a way to possibly turn an adult's cells into stem cells without any consequences and not use a fetus?

If that's the case and people are still whining, well, feel free not to ever use stem cells if it would save your life.

[Holmes]

Did people skip my post saying that they discovered a way to possibly turn an adult's cells into stem cells without any consequences and not use a fetus?

If that's the case and people are still whining, well, feel free not to ever use stem cells if it would save your life.

And lose a useful wedge issue which they can use to whip the base?
Are you joking?

Don't fool yourself, even if they don't have to use embryons anymore, they'll still use the argument to whip the base.

[Holmes]

Could someone explain to me the process by which these cells are harvested, because I've always been a little iffy on this subject.  I support lifting the ban because it will someday cure diseases, but still, it IS a bit touchy and I think even liberals have to admit that. 

Basically, stem cells are cells that don't belong to any specific category yet. They can mature into any type of cell. When an ovule is fertalized, the cells that divide inside it are stem cells and later mature into specific types of cells. But stem cell research is trying to get those stem cells and try to get them to fix a person's disease or whatever.

Like, Alzheimer's for example. Stem cells would be able to fix the damage caused in the brain.

[Holmes]

Okay, so research that was perfectly legal in the past now gets federal funding.  Great!  Superb!  What a visionary Obama is.

No funding means no quick and efficient results.

[Holmes]

Okay, so research that was perfectly legal in the past now gets federal funding.  Great!  Superb!  What a visionary Obama is.

No funding means no quick and efficient results.

Or more likely that the research doesn't happen at all.

Unless the scientists are rich, or are getting funded by some other organization that's not the goverment.

[Holmes]

He is not only an inept economist and a foreign policy coward, he is a butcher of human life.  This is not a surprise.  At least he was honest and told us he would do this.

Liberals always whine about how stem cell is gonna cure diseases.  Well guess what?  ADULT stem cells are being used in research and have been successfull in getting cures.  Killing babies for research has never helped in a single case.  What does that tell you???

Except for the fact that every time scientists tried to turn skin cells into stem cells, the cells became cancerous, and I dunno about you, but I don't want my stem cells having cancer in them. But yeah, they recently possibly found a way to better turn skin cells into stem cells, so you should stop whining and support the funding because it could lead to them not having to use embryonic cells in the first place.

And, embryos aren't babies.

[Holmes]

He is not only an inept economist and a foreign policy coward, he is a butcher of human life.  This is not a surprise.  At least he was honest and told us he would do this.

Liberals always whine about how stem cell is gonna cure diseases.  Well guess what?  ADULT stem cells are being used in research and have been successfull in getting cures.  Killing babies for research has never helped in a single case.  What does that tell you???

Except for the fact that every time scientists tried to turn skin cells into stem cells, the cells became cancerous, and I dunno about you, but I don't want my stem cells having cancer in them. But yeah, they recently possibly found a way to better turn skin cells into stem cells, so you should stop whining and support the funding because it could lead to them not having to use embryonic cells in the first place.

And, embryos aren't babies.

WRONG AGAIN LIBERALS...
(don't you guys get tired of it?)

http://www.stemcellresearch.org/statement/statement.htm

OH SNAP YOU SCHOOLED ME I SHOULD DROP OUT OF MY MAJOR PROGRAM

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/4465717.stm

Let's see, yours is from 1999 and mine is from 2005. Hmm. If you had any respect for science, you wouldn't oppose this research. Even Nancy Reagan supports stem cell research because if it were better funded, maybe Ronald would still be alive today.

[Holmes]

If you had any respect for science, you wouldn't oppose this research.

It is perfectly possible to have a great deal of "respect" for science and, yet, still have ethical qualms about research that crosses (or approaches) certain lines.

Of course. Another example would be animal testing. It revolutionized medical and science research. Before that, we had to dig up bodies in the middle of the night and cut them up. We've always done the "unethical" way of research and we're probably all here because of it.

[Holmes]

If you had any respect for science, you wouldn't oppose this research.

It is perfectly possible to have a great deal of "respect" for science and, yet, still have ethical qualms about research that crosses (or approaches) certain lines.

Of course. Another example would be animal testing. It revolutionized medical and science research. Before that, we had to dig up bodies in the middle of the night and cut them up. We've always done the "unethical" way of research and we're probably all here because of it.

I would rather not list here even a small section of the horrors caused by unethical medical and scientific practices over the years, although I'm more than prepared to do so. If you don't think that ethics matter, you have no business ever being in any position in which you might seriously influence the life of another.

The lack of even a basic level of mealy-mouthed toleration on this issue is disturbing... although, I guess, it's a reflection on what western (and especially American) political discourse has turned into in recent decades.

It'd definitely be a scary list. I'm not trying to say that ethics don't matter, but I've said before that, I wanna be against these sort of unethical procedures, but it's not as easy as that. It's because of them that the medical field was revolutionized, that we have efficient remedies, or that we even know more about any sort of science in general. It's not easy to just say "we'll stop testing these remedies on others and just hope there won't be any bad side effects or consequences". I mean there are obvious instances, like cosmetic animal testing. Give me a break. But when it comes down to important things, like finding cures to save lives for example, it's really difficult for me to be against that. And believe me, I'd just love for all diseases, disabilities, whatever, to just disappear, but it's kinda naive to hope for that.

Although the good news is that some countries have put stricter rules and regulations for such practices for the better, so that's a good thing.