Now that the New York Times reports Dr. James Thomson and colleagues have discovered a way to create stem cells without killing human embryos, scientists will have to find another evil way to get their sadistic kicks. Many scientists had hoped they would one day create life so that they could destroy it. Those dreams have been crushed. The UN World Health Organization has officially dropped the course "Torturing Microscopic Babies for Fun and Profit." The Republicans have now lost an issue to run on in '08. Conservatives better mobilize their base quickly by finding some kind of science that offends them.
Here are some suggestions:
-Ban Tylenol for relieving God-sent hangovers
-Ban crutches for the disabled because they're "merely a crutch"
-Ban pasteurization for being in the pocket of Big Lactose
-Ban Band-aids for refusing to sell Ronald Regan Special Editions
-Ban anti-depressants for making Brooke Shields want to act again
-Ban antibiotics for being against biotics. We love the Bionic Woman.
-Ban fungicide because genocide isn't fun; it's something to be ignored
-Ban viruses for infecting the computers of Republicans trying to instant-message teens.
-Ban all of medicine and arrest all the doctors because only God heals the sick
To recap: Stem Cell Science was stopped from discovering cures and wasted a decade of research appeasing the Right which could have stopped millions from suffering needlessly.
Why must they suffer? Because of the President's religion.
What if the cure for AIDS was discovered to be a blood transfusion and the president was a Jehovah's Witness? One dead nation under God.
If only al won we would have cured everything by now!
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/11/21/science/21stem.html?_r=1&oref=slogin
Meanwhile, unused embryos from fertility therapy (for those who can afford it) are flushed away. They could have been used to save lives.
Gimme that old time religion.
Bah.
I'm afraid embryonic stem cells are not now a thing of the past -- this new mechanism will take years to develop, and overcoming cancer-causing growths is vitally important to the success of this new technology. I'm afraid it will still need to be a political and moral debate.
The Watchtower leadership of the Jehovah's Witnesses say NO blood, BUT they actually DO ALLOW some blood "fractions".
Problem is this variance is so esoteric complicated that by the time special elders appear in the ER with the rule book, the JW patient is at the point of no return,bleeding to death.
NOW,they blame the hospital staff for not having a "cell saver" machine instead of the Watchtower leaders who are responsible for making the rules.
I was born a 3rd generation Jehovah's Witness in 1957 and endured the Watchtower's no blood commandment with longstanding bleeding Crohn's disease.The Watchtower leadership expects followers to die for their dogma and many have.The medical staff get blamed and are 'damned if they do damned if they don't'.
In 20 years there will be artificial blood for anyone who chooses it,putting an end to this drama.