Bush vetoes embryonic stem-cell bill

[beeniesmom]

The Senate voted 63-37 yesterday, four votes short of the two-thirds majority that would have been needed to override a possible veto.

I don't think Bush made the right decision to veto the Senate's decision for Federal funding of Stem Cell research.

What is your view on this decision.

I may be biased because I had a relative with Parkingsons (grandmother - passed on 10 yrs ago) but I do think that so many people could benefit from this kind of research.

Tests on lab rats have concluded that a treated paralised rat can now crawl. Immagine what it could do for people.

[.sarah]

I am all for stem cell research! My grandfather who passed away three years ago had parkinsons. It's heartbreaking to watch someone try to speak, walk and just plain sit still when they have parkinsons.

[Lady's Human]

The bill does not ban stem cell research, it just keeps in place the limits on federally provided funding. The research will continue as it has, with federal funding for some programs, and private funding for others.

[momoffuzzyfaces]

My Dad had Parkinson's and I know how horrible it is. I really don't know where I stand on this. I know I wouldn't want someone else to die to save myself and isn't that what happens to embryos whose stem cells they use? Who should decide who has the right to live. Whose life is more important than another?

[beeniesmom]

My Dad had Parkinson's and I know how horrible it is. I really don't know where I stand on this. I know I wouldn't want someone else to die to save myself and isn't that what happens to embryos whose stem cells they use? Who should decide who has the right to live. Whose life is more important than another?

A 3 day old embryo is not a person IMO.
I may be wrong and will go to Hell for it but I think the benefits outwiegh the moral issue.

[smokey the elder]

I understand that embryos not used for IVF are not kept indefinitely. This means that they are destroyed! Why not make this sacrifice if this is indeed "life", meaningful? It would be appropriate to get the consent of the donors, of course.

LH, from what I understand, most of the existing cell lines are corrupted by foreign DNA from animal "feeder" cells, so would not be safe to use therapeutically because of incompatibility.

One very attractive source of potential stem cells is cord blood. There should be absolutely no controversy attached to that.

There is also evidence that stem cells may be harvested from adult tissue, and grown.

I'm surprised that plants aren't studied for this, to figure out what makes a leaf grow roots when you put it in water. That sounds like nothing more than pluripotent stem cells (cells that can turn into anything.)