I've always been a staunch supporter of stem cell research, but often at a loss as to how to completely defend it. Sure, the potential benefits are huge: it could greatly improve the quality of life for some people, and save the lives of others. But I also strongly believe that the end rarely justifies the means, and while I'd love to say that an embryo is not "life", it's hard to deny the somewhat arbitrary nature of drawing a line to distinguish life from non-life. And consequently I've always sympathized with the other side: the ones that label any such abuse of embryos as murder.
I have the same reservations about abortion. Again, I'm a staunch supporter for a variety of reasons, but that doesn't mean I'm not apprehensive about the idea of ending the life of a fetus. I wish there was another way. Unfortunately, I don't see one coming for abortion, but stem cell research is lucky in that respect. The recent advances in genetic engineering that allow scientists to generate stem cells from skin cells has the potential to render stem cell research free of controversy.
And it's in times like this, when argument and controversy have led to a positive outcome that I'm really thankful for democracy. Sure, one might argue that we don't even have a true democracy: that most people supported stem cell research anyway, and if the religious right had less political clout we might already have cures for god knows how many diseases. But whether or not we live in a true democracy, we still live in a country that allows us to express our opinions. Maybe researchers would have found alternative sources for stem cells even if there hadn't been so much government interference into this controversial research, but I doubt it would have happened so quickly. And I, for one, like that idea that now there's at least a possibility for the same medical advancement without the destruction of embryos, and for that am thankful.
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