Saturday, December 8, 2007

So George W. Bush got one right...

People who know me know that I think G W Bush has been mostly a disaster as a president. From immigration, to spending, to national security, to the conduct of the war in Iraq, to prescription drug coverage, to education, to our energy policy, to reforming social security, to pushing his globalist agenda, I've little use for him.

But I've got to give the man credit for one thing he did right. And, it's something he took all kinds of heat for when it happened. He has been a staunch opponent of federal funding for embryonic stem cell research. And rightly so. The hoopla over embryonic stem cells has been largely without merit. There haven't been any major medical cures using embryonic cells. But, there this huge push to pour all kinds of money into research using these cells. (Personally, I think this has more to do with legitimizing abortion, but that's for a different post.)

Well, scientists have announced the discovery of some amazing new treatments using stem cells. What's most amazing is that scientists found these by experimenting with adult stem cells. Apparently, they've found a way to use these adult stem cells to cure sickle cell anemia in mice. They believe this is going to lead to new treatments for all sorts of diseases.

What does this have to do with GWB? If he hadn't limited federal funding on embryonic stem cells, there would have been a flood of government money poured into that area of research. And scientists would have had no incentive to work with other types of stem cells. There would have been a growing need to destroy more embryos. Not to mention the temptation to go into really nasty ethical areas, like creating embryos for the purpose of harvesting their stem cells.

But GWB's policy forced researchers to find a different way. And they have. Now this area of research can continue without the ethical questions raised by embryonic stem cell research.

Good job, GWB! If you had done as well with all the other stuff I mentioned, you would've been a pretty good president...

4 comments:

Michelle said...

Nasty ethical areas include stealing babies to use for stem cell research (the BBC proved this happened in Ukraine) and poor women selling their babies for research. There are rumors that a woman in Eastern Europe can sell her baby for about $200.....

Richard J said...

Wow! I hadn't even thought about that. That is so sad. I've got to wonder what happens in a mother's life that makes her turn off her God-given mothering instincts and do something like that.

Emily said...

I heard the price was higher 200$. But then I've also heard here that doctors will tell a woman her baby died and sell the baby for research. It's a nasty place sometime when money is ones god.

Michelle said...

Yeah, you gotta have a body guard for your baby.....I think the instincts turn off because of total lack of moral values and total poverty. It's not just that they need the money, it's a spiritual poverty that they are dealing with as well.....And a way of life....a society where this is okay....