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President lifts stem cell research ban

March 10, 2009 by  

President lifts stem cell research banOn Monday, President Obama signed an executive order reversing the Bush administration’s ban on federal funding for embryonic stem cell research.

Scientists have hailed the reversal as the dawn of new hope for those suffering from currently incurable diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease or spinal cord injuries.

Others, however, have called the move a triumph of politics over science and ethics.

Prior to the signing, Obama talked about the promise such research offers doctors, patients and their families. To allay the fears of his critics, he also underscored the strict ethical guidelines the administration would enforce which will prevent any abuses of the science such as human cloning.

Obama also stressed the promise of new medical technologies as an engine of economic growth.

However, not everyone was convinced. Many Republicans, conservative organizations and church representatives expressed their dismay with the policy reversal.

House Minority Leader John Boehner (Republican – Ohio) said in advance of the signing that focus should be on developing promising stem cell techniques that do not destroy human embryos.

Meanwhile, Tony Perkins, President of Family Research Council called the new executive order "deadly."

The new directive supersedes the one signed in 2001 by President George W. Bush that prevented the National Institutes of Health from funding research on embryonic stem cells beyond the 60 cell lines that existed at the time.

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Filed Under: Alternative Medicine, Liberty News
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  • Dominic Tabet

    I personally can not imagine that stem cell therapy is going to be viable until there is set organization in the industry. Regulation should be imparted on medical tourism in general, not just stem cells. Would be nice to see more companies like Stem Cell Therapy Finder that can weed out the snake-oil and potentially harmful stem cell therapies that are currently out there.

  • Paul Brosseau

    This is obviously a neo-conservative, right-wing republican, ding-bat stupid website. I rue the day i answered the polling question (whose results I think are probably fabricated simply to support the predisposed opinion of the website). How can Clinton be blamed? It’s obvious that the Bush administration was one of the worst examples of democratic leadership this country has ever experienced.

    Now they suggest we go back to the dark ages of mankind’s beginnings when religion supressed scientific research and progressive thought with their narrow minded “we know what’s best for everyone because we have a special relationship with God” attitiudes and opinions. Let’s get religion out of government and back into the churches where it belongs. Don’t ever use the opinion of religious leaders as an example of lucid and cogent thought.

  • http://na J5

    On another note, the whole, God is going to get us if we use embryos…

    The human race has done SOOOOO many things that are terribly un-moral, un-human, and IMHO completely in-accusable, that for God to truly be “angry” with us, would be like a parent scolding their child for speeding, but not for stealing the car.

    We sit back and let other humans on this planet STARVE, why because they cant afford to pay us some worthless paper money for the food they need to eat… I think that is a lot more disgraceful, and sinful, and utterly un-human.

  • http://na J5

    Majority rules

    I pay taxes for schools that my children DONT USE!

    I pay taxes for people to sit on welfare all there life,

    Stem cell research is such a SMALL part of the budget, at this point I could care less.

    And I would prefer we do our experimenting on humans, not animals, that’s right I said it… If we need to experiment, we need to do it on ourselves, not animals.

    The fact of the matter is that whatever stem cell treatments come available, the ones that are the cheapest and most effective are the ones that will be used. No matter the moral implication.

    Are you really going to say she should not cure cancer because the means does not justify the ends, I find that hard to believe.

    • Paul Brosseau

      That’s right. You pay taxes for schools your children don’t use because that is your responsibility as a member of a society to contribute to that society. That’s why we tax people because otherwise they would only spend their money on their own selfish desires rather than contributing to the good of all.

      Personally I don’t think chirch donations should be tax free since they are mostly used for the welfare of those who contribute them Only a small farction go to the poor and needy. Most of that money is plowed back into mega churches, day care, religious education and other endeavors that only serve those who made the contributions in the first place.

    • http://myatt.net madeleine

      Re Mr Brosseau’s statement that embryo stem cell research is NOT murder. I would be interested in his “ake” on what it is. Perhaps he ought to read up on it. It is the killing of an embroyo (human being) to harvest the cells for (only) research ( Research means trial and error. I repeat adult cells and “cord” cells are already proven to work and they are not destroying life. Is it okay to purposefully create embyos to kill them to extract cell just for research? I think not.
      as to the other commentator on May 20 “majority rules” you miss the point. It is not about money (taxes) it is about taking human life.for research only. Furthermore, It looks like you are “hooked” on the word research. It cannot be compared to reseach on animals. The embryo has to be KILLED and the cells harvested BEFORE the research begins. That is the objection (destroying human life )merely for research. Incidentally “the end does not justify the means” killing one human to save another is
      not acceptable in a moral society. Please read up on this subject for your own enlightment

  • http://myatt.net madeleine

    does anyone find it incredulous that everyone (note the comments above) all agree that embryonic stem cell research is murder and is not necessary, and will certainly lead to other horrific procedures. We have the unbiblical cord and adult stem cells (even using one’s own cells).? The research companies aren’t going to make any money on the latter, though and that is what is all important, isn’t it. Of course, what do we know? The all knowing goernment and this heavy handed administration will just go on doing what they want and completely ignore the voice of the people. But then remember the words of the president “I won”. That says it all

    • Paul Brosseau

      who said embyonic stem cell research is murder? That’s a ridiculous statement.

      • Rev. Gary clark

        Not if it is a person who has been sentenced to death by a cort of law

      • Paul Brosseau

        Exactly! The courts decide. And the courts have decide that it’s ok to kill unborn humans under certain circumstances. And the courts have also decided that it’s ok to kill already born humans under certain circumstances too. Jesus doesn’t support killing no matter what the reason. So if you’re a Christian you should be against killing of any kind. You can’t be in favor of killing some people just because it’s convenient for you. It doesn’t matter what they’ve done. No matter how heinous the crime. Jesus still loves them and doesn’t want them killed and he abhors those who do the killing as well as those who condone it.

        However, if you’re not a Christian, and most people on this particular planet are not, you shouldn’t feel bound by the teachings of some long dead jewish rabbi. I personally feel that there are many circumstances under which it is ok to take human life. And early trimester abortion is one of them. And the death penalty is another. But, then I’m not a christian.

        You shouldn’t let your superstitions drive your morality. Ethical conduct should be decided outside of the bounds of anyone’s religious beliefs so as not to impose those superstitious beliefs on others.

  • Rev. Gary Clark

    This is just another way that Obama has made another mistake. Stem-cell research starts with murder.

    • Paul Brosseau

      The taking of a human life is not always murder. If you can’t think of any examples yourself I’ll be happy to provide some for you.

  • Joseph Wills

    Do not EVER expect any ‘cures’ coming from this ongoing scam! (MORE research ALWAYS needed!!). There is noooo cure for greed, i.e. love of access to taxpayers money, and the present agendered, ‘democratic’ congress have ok’d this pursuit.

    “Power corrupts; absolute power corrupts absolutely” Lord Acton. This (Obama) administration ” .. absolutely corrupt.”

    • Paul Brosseau

      No administration in recent history has sought or achieved anything as close to absolute power as has the recently deceased administration of Dick Cheney and his puppet president George Bush. Stick you head back in the sand and just wait for a while.

      • Joseph Wills

        “An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.” Anytime a euphrism (gay) is used to ‘legalise’ a lie, there is something gone ‘a’muck with our justice system. Bush/Cheney have NOTHING to do with this type .. ‘thinking.’ Biotechnology is FAR behind long-existing Electronic technology that has been ignored – even supressed for decades!! It’s ALL about MONEY! That’s the ‘why’ there are little; if any cures for the ‘biggies.’ Again, there will be noooo cures – only demands for MORE taxpayer funding that the Democrat/liberals/progressives/statists have now successfully ‘legislated. Mark these words ..

  • http://N/A Patricia Rutland

    I agree that certain types of stem-cell research is beneficial—but not embryonic. I feel that my God does not condone this act.
    Actually, Scientists have found an alternative to the stem-cell–it is called “Signal Proteins” which work in the same way that stem-cells do. Signal Proteins are available in numerous “natural” supplements where no harm is done to any living thing.

    • Paul Brosseau

      Your God? I thought there was only one God. If so, then he is everyone’s God. Including Jews, Muslims, and even atheists. One does not have to believe in God for him to exist. If faith and belief are required for the existence of God then God cannot, by definition exist at all. Broaden your mind.

    • chris

      I personally believe its wrong to kill a baby for its stem cells. If the mother has already decided to abort the child, its not wrong to use the tissues.

      What I don’t want to see the promotions of abortions for the ‘greater good’.

      That being said, if the stem cells are available, then I think its wrong to waste them.

      Let’s face it, humans aren’t perfect, and they are constantly growing. There’s a genetic disease in my family that’s affects 30,000 people in the US. It’s fatal and cause terrible suffering.

      Human DNS apparently doesn’t have checksum’s on it like computer programs would use to prevent errors. It’s a simple technique, that some programs use. If ‘God’ didn’t take the time/or want to fix that himself, then it’s up to us. According to the Bible he created man in one day, and things went terribly wrong from there.

      Theses DNS errors spread from one family, and now its in 30,000 people in the US. That’s just one genetic disease. Now multiply that times a few dozen for the major diseases.

      If we don’t fix these problems, where will we be in 1000 years? Extinct? Short lived mutants?

      Now I know the hardcore baptists will have a problem with that. But God kills people and allows them to be tortured everyday with weird afflictions, many times from birth. Will your children suffer?

  • http://PersonalLibertyDigest Dian Tornow

    I ABSOLUTELY agree with Jay Glowacki and Susan Sutter (Letters 4 & 5 respectively). As long as my tax dollars are being spent for the killing of a little life, I feel that I am being forced, by my screwed-up government, to contribute to this madness unnecessarily! So much for MY choice, I guess…. I find no problem with non-embryonic stem cell research, but I draw the line at poking our political noses into God’s business (and THAT includes cloning)!! How long do we, as a nation, think that our Creator is going to put up with our reckless shenannigans?

  • Susan Sutter

    The public doesn’t get to hear about research that doesn’t entail killing a human embryo… advances have been made with placental cord blood AND cancer patients now are undergoing stem cell transplants using their own cells. State and private institutions have been continuing research with the existing cell lines. The govt has no business touching this. What I find concerning is that activists are upset about research on animals… but it’s okay to do research on a human life? Is an animal life worth more than a human? Put the money into research of non-embryonic stem cells. The govt shouldn’t control or have a say in this. Pres. Bush believed in respecting human life. Maybe Obama and crew could learn something about respecting the American people… starting with their hard earned money.

  • Jay Glowacki

    Agreed with Bob that stem cell research is not an ethical issue IF embryonic research is not included. Once included, hundreds of millions of people believe it is a very serious ethical problem: killing innocent human life (young babies), sacrificed to research possibilities of curing illnesses. Public funding cannot be used for embryonic research without intolerance to and disrespecting of a large group’s moral position, by forcing them to assist in what they believe is homicide.

    So let’s fund the heck out of NON-embryonic stem cell research.

  • http://www.yahoomail.com Adoniram Nkonbe Cham

    It is a good idea and direction in solving the worlds incurable ailments that have defiled our present day medical knowledge only if some salient issues on the morality of the research will not be hidden. similarly, i hope cost issues to the eventual beneficiaries will take into cognizance that the research funding is through tax payers money.

  • Bob Livingston

    There is a lot of bad information on stem cell research. Most of it relates to embryonic stem cell research. Updated information says that stem cell research does not have to be embryonic at all.

    Stem cell research is way advanced in Europe and the literature says they have made terrific strides toward curing “incurable” disease. Here again there appears to be some vested interest that does not want stem cell research and puts out bad information. I think the new directive can be a great advancement if they don’t allow propaganda to ruin it. Stem cell research includes healing various organs of the body with stem cells from the same organ or region. It has nothing to do with the moral implications of embryonic stem cell research.

    • Sally Fama

      I agree with Mr. Livingston except for one thing. I do not think this research should be federally funded. Our government is already funding too many organizations!

      • Andy

        What you think is overriden by the majority – that’s how it works here. I was against the Iraq fiasco and the lying accounting tricks to keep its cost from showing in the budget. But, at the time most of US was duped by the lies and my tax $ went. Germany is doing therapy with great success with adult stem. They now have legalized ESC research which will lead to therapy for where adult stem may have problems.

        Do you realize that if diseases like diabetes were cured (it’s happening in Germany right now) that US health costs would drop by up to 1T a year? If not for Germany and other countries, boosh would have succeeded in shutting down progress; he simply succeeded in making US a non-leader (just like him).

      • Lynn Pence

        I agree. Not long ago there was a lot of flap about getting stem cells from the umbiblical cord. What happened to it?

      • Jim

        Not all stem cells are the same. The umbilical cord ones are not necessarily as useful as the embryonic cells

  • http://olydale.ws Olydale

    How can you ask us to vote on 3 people in Goverment -On Who’s Fault It Is for the Ecinomic Crisis? It goes back to far to even remember whos fault it is and anyway it should be the Goverment as a whole-not just one person.We all know that not just one person runs our Goverment,that would be like thinking we were the only ones in the Universe!

    • Darrell

      Oh, have they discovered life elsewhere in the universe ? What a moronic statement!!
      It’s as moronic as thinking that everyone in government is to blame for the actions of a few. The answer to the question is: Chris Dodd, Barney Franke and Barrak Obama. they were the top money makers from the housing debacle that gave Comrad Obama the platform he needed to tell the Chicken Littles that if we didn’t put our grandchildren in deep debt that the sky would fall. What he has done is put the US in debt that will just spiral down until our economy collapses. The man is a socialist moron that has no interest in the American people, other than subjugating them.

      • Jim

        It’s so nice to hear such reasoned arguments.

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