| Stem Cells |
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| Issues |
| Arguments Against |
| Those against stem cell research, namely embryonic stem (ES) cell research, argue that an embryo is a human life, and therefore it should not be destroyed. President Bush agrees with this take on stem cells. Some people against stem cell research might think of it as "playing God" as this can lead - as we've already seen to cloning, such as in the case of Dolly the cloned sheep. |
| Arguments For |
| Those that believe in stem cell research argue that for every "life" destroyed (if the embryos are even to be considered life) millions of lives will be saved. They believe that since the embryos used for stem cell research will be simply "thrown away" if not used for research; so at least there would be some use for these wasted cells. |
| Legislation |
| In 2004, Californians voted "yes" on Proposition 71. This propostition "established the California Institute for Regeneratve Medicine" and it "added the California research and Cures/Bond Act to the Health and Safety Code." 18 This legislation proved highly controversial by going against the traditional republican views of being against abortion and stem cell research. Proposition 71 gave state funding to stem cell research. The laboratories still cannot get new embryos, but they can duplicate and reuse the stem cell lines already in existence, and get state funding for their research. |
| Don't Waste, Duplicate! |