Suits Filed to Stop Stem Cell Institute In California

Suits Filed to Stop Stem Cell Institute

This is another cause to rally behind. In the last election California passed a law granting $3 billion in embryonic stem cell research to state institutions. As is typical for legislation like this, nothing was mentioned of the embryonic component or the cloning allowances unless you listened to the dissenters. And, again typically, the dissenters were brushed aside as religious kooks and their claims not addressed.

The fact is, this legislation is all about embryonic stem cells and, as I understand it, embryonic cloning. All the typical pressures are at play in this case. Several of the members of the board that is granting the $3 billion have either diseases or conditions which have been promised a cure through embryonic and embryonic stem cell research alone. In fact, the law suit is not going after the ethics of the legislation, but the apparent conflict of interest issues involved. California does not allow people to legislate or distribute money when there is an obvios conflict of interest, and there appears to be one in this scenario.

Interestingly, one of the backers of the suit is Joni Eareckson Tada, an advocate for the disabled and a profoundly faithful Christian. This statement of hers is exactly right, but she will be dismissed for the simple, and prejudicial, reason that she is a Christian.

People need to get the message that this proposition is an enormous expenditure of money in a financially strapped state for human embryo research that is increasingly seen as problematic and hypothetical.

They really do. Lives are at stake.

Update:
Another incarnation of this article will appear on Blogger News Network