Saying No to the Culture of Death

The President of the United States recently used his right to veto to stop what must be one of the most vile of the scientific advances in our own time - cloning associated with embryonic stem cell research. For years we have heard the Hollywood stars such as Michael J. Fox (who has Parkinson's Disease) lending their weight to the clamour to allow this form of research, and using what is designated discarded frozen embryos. The whole idea of IVF that uses frozen embryos is somewhat abhorrent to anyone who has any regard for the right to life.

One of the arguments that is being used to claim that embryonic stem cell research and cloning is ok happens to be that the definition of life is when the fertilized ova reaches the womb. Think again - that life began when the egg was fertilized because from that moment onwards the cells that have been fused together have already begun to divide, and all of the genetics of the life that has been created are already in place. The embryo cannot be sustained if it is not raised in the womb, but that does not mean that it is nothing until it is planted into the womb.

The men and women who are promoting this form of research are doing the rest of us no favours at all. Take for example the opinions of the former Premier of NSW, Mr. Bob Carr. He uses a lot of emotive arguments about children with diabetes needing the research, and about a scientist of his acquaintance who has motor neurone disease. No one denies that these diseases are devastating. When motor neurone disease strikes a child, it is very devastating, and yet the child still has a quality of life. The notion that the answers will only come from embryonic stem cell research is in fact nonsensical, and yet this is the argument that Bob Carr has been pushing.

The public are not being made aware of the advances that have been made through the use of adult stem cells. The adult stem cell research projects are far closer to finding the answers to many of the diseases, whereas embryonic stem cell research is not even scratching the surface when it comes to finding a cure for such things as Parkinson's Disease or Diabetes Type 1, and a host of other diseases.

Parkinson's Disease is rather devastating, and as one who has a mother with Parkinson's Disease, I am interested in ensuring that her comfort is maintained. The research that has been done so far has already provided some answers to the causes of this particular condition. The people who have this disease have a problem that concerns a lack of chemical balance in their brains, and the medication that they are prescribed is useful in keeping the disease under control. The level of Dopamine in the brain, and how the body is making and absorbing Dopamine is critical for the future of people with Parkinson's Disease. We do not need embryonic stem cell research to find the answers as to what went wrong.

Likewise, Diabetes Types I and II is a condition that is caused by an hormonal imbalance. In the case of Diabetes, the hormone affected is that of insulin. It is the working of the pancreas that is critical in any research that is being done to combat diabetes. We need further research in how our endocrine systems work, not embryonic stem cell research that has not, so far, generated anything positive - except for the growth of tumors.

The work of the disgraced Hwang in South Korea should have served as a warning that there is either little or no progress in cloning techniques. Yet, that has not stopped Bob Carr proposing that funding should be allowed for projects that have little regard for the potential lives that are being created. Bob Carr is very good with the emotive speeches, but he is light on when it comes to presenting the real facts about a given situation. He did not make a good case for embryonic stem cell research or for cloning research. People such as Bob Carr fail to acknowledge the work that is being done with adult stem cells. They prefer to hide the advances that are being made with such research. They want to continue with the excuse that embryonic stem cell research is viable, because they cannot accept their own failures.