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Wichita Eagle OUR VIEW Embryonic stem-cell research worth funding If ever an issue called for decision-making untainted by politics, it's embryonic stem-cell research. But, sure enough, it's become another round in the abortion debate, despite the research's potential to speed society's advancement toward better treatments and possible cures for such diseases as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, muscular dystrophy and more. Specifically, the question before Mr. Bush is whether federal funding should support medical research using stem cells from embryos. Former President Bill Clinton allowed such funding, as long as federal money didn't help procure the embryos. But some fear that Mr. Bush may base his decision less on what would most benefit humankind than on what would most benefit his chances for re-election. Because, it's said, Mr. Bush will need pro-life Catholics in order to win in 2004, he may try to appease them by banning such use of federal funds. That would be a mistake. Most embryonic stem cells are taken from fertilized human embryos that are unneeded by the fertility patients for whom they were created and that are otherwise slated for destruction. Viewed as a choice between making possibly lifesaving use of them and tossing them into the trash, the decision should be easy. It's not easy, though. While embryonic stem cells seem better-suited than adult stem cells when it comes to realizing their promise to be transformed into replacement tissue for people's diseased organs, their manipulation is seen as the taking of human life by antiabortion advocates such as Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan. Mr. Bush could end up going with a compromise, supported by some Catholics, that would allow federal funding for such research only if it used existing stem cells that have already been isolated from embryos and if it did not involve the future destruction of embryos. A Bush ban on the use of federal funds to support embryonic stem-cell research wouldn't end such research, by any means, only isolate it to the privately funded sector. But to Americans whose diseases might be eased or cured by federally fueled stem-cell research, that's not good enough. -- For the board, Rhonda Holman SOURCE: The Wichita Eagle http://web.wichitaeagle.com/content/wichitaeagle/2001/07/14/editorial/stemcell0714_txt.htm * * * ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn