Life on the Chopping Block

Editorials, Sun Times, Washington Post, via RCP.

Unproven and controversial, let the private sector take the risk on embryonic stem cell research. The emphasis on embryonic research raises false hopes for cures which have yet to materialize and detracts attention from more promising stem cell avenues using umbilical cord cells and adult stem cells. Government funding should be reserved for research which has greater consensus from scientists with greater chance for success.

The need to tread carefully in the matter of the ethics of research using human cells and fetuses remains paramount. A fair-minded observer has only to look at government involvement in China, which has progressed from forcing abortions after one child, to harvesting body parts from prisoners and aborted babies for the marketplace. And there are charges that their skin is being sold to make cosmetics.

There is a black market in human life. It is no stretch to see that this can lead to women and young girls being coerced to sell their fetuses. Where are the leftist civil libertarians on this issue? As usual, their feminist-driven politics trump their principles.

Previous posts here, here, here.

UPDATE: Robert P. George, NRO:

So far as I am aware, only the Los Angeles Times took note of this little wrinkle in ACT’s heavily publicized tale, but even the Times didn’t pay it much heed. The paper noted: “Although the embryos were destroyed in this experiment, Lanza said it was not necessary to destroy the embryos for the procedure to work.” If it was not necessary, why did his team do it?

Also more on promising alternative stem-cell research.