Just saddened
I was reading CNN today and was surprised to see that President Obama has lifted the restrictions on stem cell research. I know there are those who would argue that I should not have been - I concede and concur.
However, what has really saddened me is that as a society we seem to be willing to sacrifice innocent life for the betterment of those who are already living. In fact, many seem to think it's a noble cause and wrong to even consider that removing cells from an embryo could somehow have moral signifigance.
Maybe it's because I'm a mom and I have an 8 month old and 2 year old that are living, breathing miracles but I just can't imagine putting myself, my health or any other part of my person before them or any other innocent child.
The article reads "When the embryo is 4 or 5 days old, scientists extract the stem cells and put them in a petri dish. With the removal of these stem cells -- of which there may be about 30 -- the embryo is destroyed.".
There is later an excerpt where Nancy Reagan applauds Obama's decision saying ""These new rules will now make it possible for scientists to move forward," Reagan said. "Countless people, suffering from many different diseases, stand to benefit from the answers stem cell research can provide. We owe it to ourselves and to our children to do everything in our power to find cures for these diseases."
When, I ask you, did we start feeling to entitled to a "perfect" life that we're willing to sacrifice the unborn innocents to achieve it?
I think Senator Shelby of Alabama said it best ""My basic tenet here is I don't think we should create life to enhance life and to do research and so forth," Shelby said Sunday. "I know that people argue there are other ways. I think we should continue our biomedical research everywhere we can, but we should have some ethics about it."
Link: http://www.cnn.com/2009/POLITICS/03/09/obama.stem.
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Stephanie, Monday, 3-9-09 11:29 AM
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re: Just saddened
On a side note - I wonder how common it will become to ask our doctors if the treatment they reccomended has in anyway benefited from stem cell research? I know I personally would not want any therapy derived from any research that was impacted by embryonic stem cell research.
Should our doctors, drug companies etc be required to disclose this information to us?
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Stephanie, Monday, 3-9-09 11:31 AM
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Stem Cell Research Information
I found this site had some helpful information about stem cells, stem cell research, and the uses and pros and cons. I do not personally support fetal and embryonic stem cell research. I think asking your own doctor is a great place to start Stephanie. I will do this.
Link: Stem Cell Research Pros and Cons
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Katy, Monday, 3-9-09 1:24 PM
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re: Just saddened
One quick thought: Thus far, there have been *no* viable medical therapies derived from fetal stem cells. On the other hand, there are several promising treatments and bits of research under way that use adult stem cells - scientists have even figured out how to essentially reverse-engineer a standard cell back into a stem cell, and from there get it to do all the cool things they need.
So as much as it saddens me that our president has opened the door on this deplorable practice once again, it's almost purely a political move. No doubt it will lead to the deaths of more embryos, but chances are it won't lead to the cure for Parkinson's Disease (for example.) We're probably safe there. :}
What's got me slightly more concerned is the information in the link below: apparently a fair number of vaccines are derived from aborted fetal cell lines.
I am not one of those conspiracy theorists who believes that the mercury in a vaccine will make little James autistic, and was pretty much planning to fully follow my doctor's advice on which shots to give the poor little guy. Now I have to really look into it... :(
Link: Info on ethical vaccines
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Annette, Tuesday, 3-10-09 9:35 AM
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re: Just saddened
I find it frustrating and certainly misleading that the media makes it all about fetal stem cells, when in fact stem cells are easy to get from the ambilicle cord or from our own bodies. They make it sound like killing a fetus is the only way to get stem cells when it has been shown that adult stem cells are effective.
So much of the media coverage makes it sound like Christians that are against embryonic stem cell research are against having any kind of Scientific cure at all, for anything. Like we are extremists that just don't understand. They cast us in the same light as people who won't let their child go to a doctor when they have a serious problem because we believe God will heal them.
I think the people behind this actually want it to look like you can't have cures from stem cells unless you get them from embryos.
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Debbie, Tuesday, 3-10-09 10:58 AM
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re: Just saddened
Annette - just so you know - vaccines no longer contain thimiserol, a mercury based preservative :-
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Stephanie, Tuesday, 3-10-09 2:58 PM
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re: Just saddened
That's a relief. Whether or not it causes autism, it's doesn't sound like a good thing to pump into one's body in any case.
What I really need to find is a good, pro-life pediatrician. Ideas, anyone?
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Annette, Tuesday, 3-10-09 4:01 PM
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re: Just saddened
I'm not sure if mine is pro-life but she's an excellent pediatrican. What I really like about her is that she is open to other methods of raising children from a medical perspective. She is ok with putting off vaccines, trying different therapies but is also very intelligent and up on the lastest research. I'm not sure if she's accepting patients right now but if she is, you should snag her. She came highly reccomended by my high risk ob-gyn when I was pregnant with Jackson and we were not sure about his lung development.
Her name is Dr. Moore and she works for Metropolitan Pediatrics West Side office off of Cornell. Kinda by where we used to get our hair cut.
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Stephanie, Friday, 3-13-09 10:23 PM
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