Is Cmdr. Data just a robot on "Star Trek: The Next Generation," or is he truly alive?
The concept of life is uncertain - the standards unclear, the rules bendable and the value infinitely mysterious.
In the past, a child wasn't named until christening, when he or she was more likely to survive infancy, meaning one wasn't entirely considered a person until proving he or she could live outside the womb. However, some still consider every fertilized egg that fails to attach to the uterus a loss of life.
Wherever you fall on this spectrum, remember that we are governed by a system of compromise. As far as embryonic stem cell research is concerned, it is not the government's job to decide which side is right - those who oppose it or those who support it - but to make fair, legally-minded decisions that help our country. In this case, there are many people living with diseases who might be helped by the research, while many argue the research itself leads to the loss of human life.
It is unclear whether or not embryonic stem cell research will produce extraordinary scientific results, though it has the potential to cure many horrible diseases. Ethical concerns have been raised, mainly by religious groups, but I don't think the religion of the few should dominate government policies that affect us all. With proper support over a long enough period of time, stem cell research could potentially yield amazing results. Denying even the chance for this to happen seems unfair, especially since the research is only considered unethical by a few segments of our society.
Let's not forget that many medical advances have seemed morally wrong at the time. Hundreds of years ago in Europe, doctors had to exhume corpses illegally to dissect and study them, and without this violation of moral conduct, it would have been nearly impossible to learn the intricacies of the human body. Some were crying "Frankenstein" at the first heart transplant. Popular opinion is fickle, but scientific advancement is continuous.
Get content from The Daily Lobo delivered to your inbox
Reggae legend Bob Marley's death was caused, in part, by his refusal to have an infected toe amputated, because it was considered wrong under the Rasta religion. Does that mean no one should be allowed to amputate infected appendages? One person's religion shouldn't affect other people's health, just his or her own.
As someone who's been an insulin-dependent diabetic since he was 9 years old, I can say that if this research eventually provides a cure for my condition, I'll let the scientist who finds it spit in my face, insult my mother and pee on my rug, and I'll still be thankful to him or her. Blastocysts - most of which are by-products of fertility treatments and are set to be destroyed anyway - will be the furthest thing from my mind.
Joe Buffaloe
Opinion Editor
