This really is an interesting and important debate. But I wonder whether it's a bit off the mark. In the human gene mapping race, didn't a privately funded company win the race over the public--private partnership? Doesn't good old fashioned capitalism usually triumph over government-sponsored grants, which often are just a means of putting more scientists on a research payroll? Look at cancer, AIDS, and so many other diseases, that no longer are just diseases, but political movements and economic industries.
Importantly, this is NOT a debate over whether embryonic stem cell research should be ILLEGAL. It is, and will remain, LEGAL. It's a debate over whether federal funds -- that belong to EVERYBODY, of all religious, moral, and ethical persuasions -- should be used for it. It will be interesting to see Bush tonight and the responses he evokes, no matter what he says. |
