Cons of Stem Cell Research
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Some people agree with stem cell research, and some don’t. Each side has a reason as to why they agree, or disagree with stem cell research. In order to get stem cells scientists have to disassemble human embryos. Most people do not approve of the destruction of human embryos, and because of this people do not approve of public spending on stem cell research. Some people believe that embryonic stem cells are related to human cloning because an individual’s cells are duplicated to keep off illnesses, personal diseases, or the effects that occur from serious injury, like spinal damage. Cloning humans could lead to devastating consequences, and that is another reason why people are against embryonic stem cell research.
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Many people against embryonic stem cell research think it is wrong to go after any health related gain through immoral means, like the taking of an innocent life (embryo). Also, people think it is wrong to sacrifice embryos in order to benefit another human being. People argue that "A life is a life and that should never be compromised. A fertilized egg should be valued as a human life even if it is in its very first weeks. Destroying human life in the hopes of saving human life is not ethical." People against stem cell research believe that the fertilized egg is only part of someone else's body, which means the only respect it deserves is the respect you give to someone else's property and nothing more, and they believe that even if it is not clear if an embryo is a human being or not, it shouldn't be destroyed. Religious groups feel as though, "Humans should not be trying to play the role of God", and that it’s important that scientists shouldn't mess with human life, because they believe that God decides what's best for humans. Others are against it because embryonic stem cells could also cause tumors because of their rapid growth when injected into adults. Some people believe that embryonic stem cell research could lead to a whole bunch of different things in the future, like growing embryos just for human body parts, and cloning like I mentioned before.
Obama and Stem Cell Research
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In 2001, President George W. Bush restricted federal funding for research on stem cells obtained from human embryos because the technology required the destruction of human life. When President Barack Obama came into office, he knew that embryonic stem cell research is a feud that has been going on in America for years. He decided to get rid of the ban on funding for stem cell research. Obama says, “ Many thoughtful and decent people are conflicted about, or strongly oppose this research. I understand their concerns, and we must respect their views”. Obama went on to say that the majority of Americans “have come to a consensus that we should pursue this research; that the potential it offers is great, and with proper guidelines and strict oversight the perils can be avoided”. In other words, Obama thinks that continuing this type of research has great potential, but it has to be regulated in order to avoid the dangers that this research could cause, and that is why he lifted the federal funding ban on embryonic stem cell research that George W. Bush had set.