A very well thought out letter.
Did you send it to the President?
His job is certainly not an easy one.

Norma

ROBERT A MARTONE wrote:

> List,
>
> My letter to the editor was published today in the Texas
> Polk County Enterprise.
> They added the title "Seems Morally Justified"
>
> Bob Martone
> [log in to unmask]
> http://www.samlink.com/~bmartone
>
> ------------------------------------
> Pro-Life! Is there a choice?
>
> In a few days the President will announce his decision
> regarding Federal funding of embryonic stem cell research.
> Many diseases stand to benefit enormously from this
> research. These include Parkinsons, Alzheimers, Diabetes,
> and heart disease. Embryonic stem cell research looks like
> it may be the best chance yet for developing the cures. My
> wife Nancy has suffered with Parkinson's Disease for 26
> years. Might this be her chance?
>
> The stem cell controversy deals in part with the retrieval
> of cells from left over zygotes (pre embryos) that remain
> unused after a couple successfully achieves pregnancy
> through in vitro fertilization (IVF). The cells left over
> are frozen and after some period of time destroyed. The use
> of these cells in the search for a cure for Parkinson's and
> other diseases is the issue.
>
> Some argue that since end of life is now legally defined as
> being "brain dead", that beginning of life perhaps should be
> defined when there is brain activity. This would suggest
> that life begins at about eight weeks after conception. The
> exact moment of when life starts remains controversial.
>
> I have been reassessing my own system of values as it
> relates
> to this complex subject. It seems to me that the issues fall
> into two categories: The first is science and the second is
> belief systems.
>
> The science of a single life form has a starting and an
> ending point.  The belief systems that interpret those
> points are almost never ending. Science relies heavily on
> knowledge, quantitative knowledge. Belief systems involve
> reverence for a supernatural power tempered by knowledge.
> Ethics and morality seem to flow logically from the
> application of belief systems and knowledge. Some place
> greater emphasis on the belief system, others place greater
> emphasis on the
> science and others try to wrestle with the two. For me it
> has been nearly impossible to separate these two issues. My
> belief system is that life should be protected and preserved
> and that life begins at conception. My knowledge now causes
> me to challenge that notion. I now know that females are
> born with more eggs than can ever be used during
> childbearing years. I also know that males are capable of
> producing more sperm than could ever be used to fertilize
> their spouses' eggs. Therefore the potential to produce life
> through traditionally acceptable means (sanctioned
> monogamous relationships) allows most potential life giving
> gametes to die.
>
>  In vitro fertilization takes the problem one step further.
> Many zygotes (pre-embryos) are left over and frozen in case
> they are needed for another try at pregnancy. The
> pluripotent stem cells found in these zygotes can be
> extracted and coaxed into becoming a variety of
> potentially life saving cells that may soon be able to cure
> diseases like Parkinson's. Today most of these zygote cells
> are allowed to die.
>
> As a pro-life thinker today I find myself asking why all
> this death?  Why are these cells left to go unused? Could it
> be that the supernatural power that I do believe exists is
> revealing new life opportunities to me or am I somehow
> violating the ethical bounds imposed by my traditional
> belief systems.
>
> My leaning today is to allow the exploration of these cells
> to proceed in a guarded and regulated way. I would proceed
> based on the knowledge we possess and the body of belief
> systems including religious beliefs that provide the moral
> and ethical constraints that have served mankind so well.
>
> Science may be able to establish when life begins but each
> belief system will continue to spin that knowledge to
> support their particular view. While the taking of any life
> troubles me, and probably always will, my spin on this
> knowledge is that the current use of excess zygotes/embryo's
> from in vitro fertilization to end the killing caused by
> disease seems morally and ethically justified.
>
> To express your views call the White House comments line
> 1-202-456-1414 (9AM-5PM Eastern M-F). You can make a
> difference.
>
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