Republican Wisconsin legislators have introduced a bill that would
ban the use of fetal tissue in medical research. Officials at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, a leader in stem cell research, are obviously very worried about this push. If successful, the bill would decimate research at the institution, and its potential impacts are likely not fully understood by the legislators leading this latest anti-intellectual charge.
The success of this medical research could have far-reaching implications for untold millions of Americans. For example, my mom had dementia in her final days. I have often said that I lost her twice: Once when she was diagnosed with the disease, and again when she died.
Research being done at the University of Wisconsin could prevent dementia in the future, and save a child from having to watch a parent's mental decline. If Republicans are successful in banning the use of fetal tissue there, that research will simply move to another university in another state, where anti-intellectual laws like this are not in place.
The scientists conducting the research, their grad students, grant money, and any profits from patents on medical discoveries will leave the state as well. Keep reading below to ponder the further ramifications of this ill-advised bill.
If the Republican party is successful in making abortion illegal they will not have stopped it. It will still happen in back alleys and in dirty rooms, and will have disastrous consequences for women across the nation. But abortions will still happen, and that life-saving tissue that is obtained from them will never make it to a lab where a scientist can study it. It will never cure heart disease, dementia, HIV, cancer, or scores of other diseases that impact the human race.
As a man, I will never know what it is like to make the decision to terminate a pregnancy. Abortion clearly isn't a decision that comes lightly, but it is a decision that should be between a woman and her healthcare provider. If the tissue that can be recovered from a terminated pregnancy has the potential to save or improve the lives of millions, then it should be used to that effect. Instead of letting a few people with an ax to grind, a camera, and the ability to manipulate what someone said in a recording set our scientific policies, maybe we should listen to the folks who are, oh, I dunno—scientists?
When my mom was younger, before dementia robbed her of memories, she was a firm believer that a woman had a right to choose what to do with her body. There's no doubt in my mind which side of this argument my mom would come down on.