A veritably countless number of innocent lives have been lost to potentially-treatable diseases and conditions. Every single day, millions of people – in the United States alone – either will be diagnosed with, will die from, or will battle the excruciating pain of cancer, heart disease, ALS, Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, or spinal cord injury. These people are our friends, our loved ones, our mothers, fathers, children, and grandchildren. These people are those who are most in need of our care. Yet, once again, President Bush has put partisan ideology ahead of them. Once again, President Bush has turned his back on those who suffer every day and has vetoed the Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act.
The President’s second veto of legislation designed to reduce the limitations on stem cell research is a setback of inestimable proportions. The White House claimed that the veto, “…is certainly not an attempt to muzzle science”, however, putting spin aside, that is precisely what it is: a deliberate and repeated act that not only limits science but, more distressingly, also limits the very science that stands to save people’s lives. It is that simple. The White House said, “the president does not believe it’s appropriate to put an end to human life for research purposes”. However, at the very basis of stem cell research is the perpetuation and restoration of life. The Stem Cell Research Enhancement Act would provide the necessary guidelines to ensure that the research is done properly. The embryos referenced in this legislation, embryos that have been donated with consent and would otherwise be discarded, could hold the answers and help restore life for so many. For many, stem cell research is hope. Stem cell research is about broadening the scope of human understanding. Stem cell research is about finding life-saving cures that will benefit all of us for decades to come. With his veto, the President has turned a wholly human issue into an ideological issue and has put a wedge between progress and partisanship.
For the six years since the president originally put limitations on funding for stem cell research – constituting a near eternity in the realm of scientific research – work done in the United States has been put at a disadvantage. Presently, we have the brightest and most dedicated scientific minds prepared to do the research. We have a goal that is clear and attainable. We have a need for the research that grows more and more pressing every day. We have overwhelming public support for its progress. But, the president has continued to deny the necessary funding. Fortunately, states like California, New Jersey, and New York, and institutions like Harvard University, have seen the need for this research to go own, and have enacted their own initiatives. But, with an issue as important and as broadly supported as stem cell research is, federal funding is a necessity. We should not have to lose any more lives to realize this.
Deliberative democracies, such as the United States, are by their very nature characterized by a diversity of opinions, and each of these opinions should be respected. Stem cell research is no different. However, when the perspective of one individual or one narrow ideology essentially runs roughshod over the opinion of the public majority – and, in so doing, delays the realization of hope – there is cause for concern and action. U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid has indicated the possibility of a vote to override the President’s veto. Once again, the ability to act on behalf of the majority of U.S. citizens lies in Congress’ hands. This time, however, the message is clearer then ever before: this is legislation designed to improve the quality of people’s lives, and it should remain at the top of our agenda. If ever there were a time and an issue that demanded our attention and commitment, it would be now on stem cell research. Science has given medicine more promise than any other time in history, and we have not only the chance but the responsibility to seize it.
Seventeen years ago, when I was 11 years old, I was in an accident that left me paralyzed from my neck down and dependent on a ventilator to breathe. I have seen life at its most tenuous but have continued to live with a sense of resilience that is fueled by the potential in stem cell research. It is my hope one day to see a cure to the condition I face, and the conditions that millions of others face. Stem cell research legislation brings that day ever closer. With the promise of this research, cures are no longer a matter of “if” but a matter of “when”, and each day that passes is an opportunity lost.
