WASHINGTON - President Barack Obama signed an order Monday that allows federal taxpayer dollars to fund expanded embryonic stem cell research, reversing one of his predecessor's policies viewed by many as blocking development of potentially life-saving medical treatment.
The executive order undoes former President George W. Bush's directive that was based on his determination that using embryos to create additional stem cell lines was morally wrong and, therefore, research on those lines should not be funded by the government.
Obama, however, said he was ending what he believed was "a false choice between sound science and moral values."...
Bush had limited the use of taxpayer money to research using 21 stem cell lines that were created before Aug. 9, 2001. While the Obama order reverses that, it does not address an earlier legislative ban ’ that remains in place — precluding any federal money to researchers who develop stem cell lines by destroying embryos....READ MORE
I happen to support the use of the embryonic stem cell research; but nobody explains what would happen if they suddenly found a cure for cancer or diabetes using these embryonic stem cell lines. Will they simply ignore their findings? Doesn't this discovery of a cure mean that millions of patients will begin demanding their 'stem cell' cure for their cancer or diabetes?
Will they be able to clone the embryonic stem cell that was used for the cure 'discovery' and just keep using it?
I'll admit my ignorance, I really don't know the answer to this, do you? Will they have to allow other embryonic stem cells to be produced to take care of all the sick people? How will this be handled?
When Pres. Bush announced that he'd allow only the use of existing stem cells I asked the same questions. What would he have done if that cure had been found during his administration? Ignore it, or release even more?