“There are always two sides of the coin.”
This is probably the most insightful quote to remember when it comes to the debate of embryonic stem cell research. There are over six million people in this world and every individual of this number has the right to comment, to argue and to understand what’s beneath the issue.
To some religion sectors, they might say embryonic stem cell can be synonymous to murder and if this embryonic stem cell research is approved, there is probably an increase in abortion. Teenage pregnancies will probably just be everywhere. The law might only allow the teenage girls to have sex with anyone they like and if in any case they get pregnant, they can have the option to donate the embryo to laboratories.
To some arguments, they say embryos are not in same grounds with human life. Abortions are now legal in several jurisdictions and there might be a stronger logic behind if these embryos, instead of throwing them away, are used for stem cell treatment and can help thousands of people suffering from diabetes, muscular dystrophy and Alzheimer’s disease.
On the other hand, US Researchers at the University of Miami Stem Cell Institute responded positively to this Obama Executive Order. They welcome Obama Stem-Cell Decision and are positive that this will speed up research using embryonic stem cells.
To those entrepreneurs, they might view this argument as a source of income. When time comes that this law is virally accepted by everyone in the world, these marketers might only devise their system of advertisement that persuades people to donate their embryo just to cure wider range of diseases. Expect squeeze pages about “how to earn money through embryo stem cell” is all around the search engines front page.
For these possible ideas that might happen due to this controversy, there must be a thick line that must separate science and personal wants. Religion and science are in conflict from the start and this conflict serves as the balance of good and evil. These days, it’s mainly up to them how these arguments roll for their own benefits and not against them. In fact, there’s always a shade of good and evil in every decision one has to make.
In countries such as Greece, Finland, Netherlands, United Kingdom and Sweden where embryonic stem cell lines are allowed, their government should provide a law abhorring cloning. Cloning is unacceptable; it does only lose someone’s own identity. For the benefit of all people of all ages and of all races, Embryo Stem Cell should only be used to treat human deadly diseases and not beyond the imagination can think of. Abortion should only be practiced if pregnancy brings complications to woman.
When President Obama signed the order to federal funding of stem cell research, several sectors feel he might be also in doubts. What he did is a gamble. Every American can take advantage of its benefits. Yet, what’s inside Obama’s mind is strongly focus on helping thousands of people rather than enumerating the possible consequences of his decisions.
Truth is; there can be various laws that can be approved in the future to stop the consequences brought by embryonic stem cell research. There can be lots of ways to stop cloning and abortion. This research may be in good hands and co-director of Harvard Stem Cell Institute agrees with the Obama.
"I think patients everywhere will be cheering us on, imploring us to work faster, harder and with all of our ability to find new treatments.” Doug Melton said.
Melton is a father of two children diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. By and large, giving out those statements above sounded like a yard of veracity and determination. Every mistake made is a single centavo spent upon the completion of this experiment.
Like what Obama implied in his speech, no one knows what and how the future unfolds for embryonic stem cell further research. However, one must only learn how to trust those minds behind these incredible breakthroughs. Whether it’s positive or negative, trusting these people might only yield to good benefits to humanity and if not properly controlled, can also result to great disaster.