Comments On Stem-Cell Research

The research on the stem-cell in the past few decades has evoked interest of many scientists. This is solely due to the reason that stem-cells have the potential to evolve into almost all types of cells in our body. Even though the benefits of stem-cell research is tremendous, it faces its first hurdle in 2001 when President Bush, one of the most religious president in the history of United States denying funding for stem-cell research for ethical purposes. Though recently, President Obama passed a new law that will allow funding restorement backed to the scientists and research laboratories. Glimmers of hope arise and debate of the research again surfaces. One school of thoughts think that destroying embryonic cells for the sole purpose of extracting the stem-cells is considered as first-line murder as the embryonic cells containing DNA and are considered as human beings. On the contrary, the other group of people thinks that extracting the stem-cells from the embryonic cells is completely normal because the embryonic cells do not possess brain, hands, legs, or other entities that a typical human being should have. The essence of the debate is mainly about whether embryonic cell is a human being. Though I personally agree with President Obama that the research in the stem-cell is the correct path to take, albeit the huge controversy.

First of all, the benefits of stem-cell research are too immense for anyone to deny. Anyone with nervous diseases can be cured by injecting the stem-cells into our body. They will the evolve into the nerve cells that we need. Even though, scientists are not sure whether there will be any side effects for the usage of stem-cells on human beings but most of them have unanimously agreed further research into the subject will be able to unveil ways of using it on human beings. As a result, in near future, a person who is in dire need of certain cells might be saved if she were to be given the stem-cells. She will irrefutably abhor the people who deprive her from this prestige. Indirectly, it is also an act of killing, isn't it?

Is destroying a human embryonic cell really an unethical act of murder? In my opinion, this is certainly not. There are many reasons for this. Firstly, embryonic cell does not qualify as a human being that we normally know. Having no ability to think which is our superiority over other animals render the embyonic cell "useless" and can only be considered as an animal. Perceiving that we have killed so many animals in our day to day lives for food, I think killing embryonic cell is perfectly acceptable. On top of that, our society actually wants people or entities which can benefit the society. For example, criminals in our society are normally executed because they are seen to be hopeless and impossible to be brought back on track. Soldiers sacrificing themselves during war time also do not get objected. Therefore, having only the ability to benefit the society by sacrificing itself, destroying embryonic cell to extract its useful parts should be justified.

People who oppose this research might say that human embryonic cell contains human DNA, and so is a human being. Nonetheless I perceive this as a crap. If any cell that contains DNA is considered as a human being, then all of us must somehow in sometime of our lives have committed a murder. Every day, when someone accidentally cut him/herselves, blood will be gushing out and so he or she will be a murder. Can you imagine a society like that, everyone being guilty of something? Are we all supposed to be sent to jail now for committing such a unfathomable crime?

To put it in a nutshell, I think stem-cell research should be advocated and the advantages that it will bring to mankind is pretty revolutionary. I visualize that the future of our medical research will undoubtly be characterized by this research as its potential is too great and still far from being understood by us. All of the opposing point of views will only cause human beings to go backward in terms of scientific discovery. It represents a spurious and simplistic misunderstanding of human beings. Therefore, stopping the stem-cell research is definitely the wrong way to head.