Dobson: Stem cell research likened to Nazi experiments

[PUGalicious]

From Media Matters:

On the August 3 broadcast of the Focus on the Family radio show -- devoted to a discussion of stem cell research -- James C. Dobson, founder and chairman of Focus on the Family, compared embryonic stem cell research with Nazi experiments conducted on live human patients during and prior to the Holocaust. Dobson also likened proponents of embryonic stem cell research to Nazi doctors while suggesting that the Nazis' experimentation likely resulted in discoveries that "benefited mankind":

You know, the thing that means so much to me here on this issue [embryonic stem cell research] is that people talk about the potential for good that can come from destroying these little embryos and how we might be able to solve the problem of juvenile diabetes. There's no indication yet that they're gonna do that, but people say that, or spinal cord injuries or such things. But I have to ask this question: In World War II, the Nazis experimented on human beings in horrible ways in the concentration camps, and I imagine, if you wanted to take the time to read about it, there would have been some discoveries there that benefited mankind. You know, if you take a utilitarian approach, that if something results in good, then it is good. But that's obviously not true. We condemn what the Nazis did because there are some things that we always could do but we haven't done, because science always has to be guided by ethics and by morality. And you remove ethics and morality, and you get what happened in Nazi Germany. That's why to Senator [Senate Majority Leader Bill] Frist [R-TN] and the others who are saying, "Look what may be accomplished." Yeah, but there's another issue, there's a higher order of ethics here.

[Winterhawk]

This is someting I wrote on the topic of Stem Cell Research a few months ago. The topic is near to me own heart as I am a diabetic.



I have been doing a little reading today and I put together the following list of contradictions and poor logic that have been spewed forth by president Geroge W. Bush regarding stem cell research.

1.) President Bush says embryo destruction is wrong, yet he will still allow research on embryos destroyed before August 2001.
- Now for those who don’t know I will go over a few things at this point again. First there are two types of stem cells. Embryonic and Adult. Adult Stem Cells produce specific things like bone marrow. Embryonic cells produce a variety of things like spine cord material, brain matter, and heart muscle. While the extraction of Adult Stem Cells could lead to some medical advancement, Embryonic Stem Cells can produce material for research that Adult Stem Cells cannot. Furthermore in order to obtain an Embryonic Stem Cell, an egg must be fertilized outside the womb, allowed to develop for 1-2 days in a petri dish, the cell is extracted, and then the embryo destroyed.

2.) Mr. Bush says embryo destruction is wrong, but does nothing to stop the daily destruction of embryos in fertility clinics across the U.S.

3.) Mr. Bush says embryo destruction is wrong, but he does not tell us if he feels that an embryo destined for destruction in a fertility clinic, now in a petri dish is morally on equal to a child suffering from diabetes or someone who cannot walk due to a spinal injury.

4.) Consider Mr. Bush’s postion on cloning in conjunction with stem cell research. It is possible to use the same techniques used in creating Dolly (the sheep) to create clone human embryos as a source of embryonic stem cells, but he has done nor said nothing about that.

5.) Presdient Bush claims there are 60 stem cell lines for use in research. He lied. There are 23. No credible scientist believes that is enough to undertake a clinic research program on stem cells - Source: Arthur Caplan, PhD.

Bush evidently believes that human life and human rights begin at the moment of conception, even if conception occurs in a petri dish. He knows that his base opposes abortion in all of its forms, even in petri dishes. He obviously agress that embryos are people from the moment of conception.

He has to know that the majority of American’s do not agree with this view.

So Bush decided to oppose stem cell research and cloning as a low-risk political calculation in order to advance his anti-abortion agenda and secure support with his most avid anti-aboriton supporters.

Bush’s advisors thought the issue of cloning for embryonic stem cell research gave them an opportunity they never had. By banning all forms of cloning they hoped to get the embryo recognized as a person under U.S. law. They bet that by terrifying people about the “horrors” of cloning and embryo destruction that they could gain traction with their anti-abortion agenda.

So, take a deep breath and take all of this in. President Bush, has taken steps to outlaw medical practices which could lead to an end of many terminal illnesses like Diabetes in order to further his politcal agenda in the un-related area of abortion.

Lets look at this from a different angle before I end this little rant. There are 380 Fertility Clinics (Source: CDC) in the Country. From each female patient in a fertility clinic, about 24 ova are extracted for use. Two to four of these are re-inserted into the woman after they are fertilized. This leaves about 20 excess embryos per patient. Now disregard the discussion on the rights of embryos and the rights of the donors for now and focus on 20 excess embryos per patient. In many cases these excess embryos are stored in the event that the first insertion of 2-4 embryos does not result in a child. There is a bout a 27.4 percet success rate, So on average it takes about 12 embryos to be successful, which leaves 8.

Now these 8 embryos are frozen. About 25% of embryos frozen do not survive the process so, that brings us to 6. Now in 2002, according to the CDC, 81,888 embryos were created in the 380 Fertility Clinics nationwide. Now if we go by the earlier math about 1/4 of these would be left over after clinical procedures for clients or 20,472 embryos.

That’s 20,472 embryos that could be used for research purposes that are instead normally destroyed in fertility clinics. So don’t try to sell me on the unethical handling of fertilized embryos. It’s a crock. The material is there for use to use as a society in order to improve the lifes of our citizens. Instead this issue has become a tool of political manipulation for the un-releated issue of abortion. It is our children who will suffer. The possible cure lays within our grasp.