Do no harm

Charles Krauthammer, via RCP, with a very thoughtful essay on embryonic stem cell research. Read the whole thing, but there's this:

You don't need religion to tremble at the thought of unrestricted embryo research. You simply have to have a healthy respect for the human capacity for doing evil in pursuit of the good. Once we have taken the position of many stem cell advocates that embryos are discardable tissue with no more intrinsic value than a hangnail or an appendix, then all barriers are down. What is to prevent us from producing not just tissues and organs, but human-like organisms for preservation as a source of future body parts on demand?

Exactly. He goes on to say we owe President Bush our thanks for forcing full consideration of the ethical and societal consequences, and illuminates the new breakthrough on deriving stem cells from amniotic fluid, which harms neither mother nor baby.

First, do no harm.


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