When President Obama on Monday lifted some federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, he "gave a cold, clear answer" to the question of when life begins, indicating that "[h]uman embryos are not human life worthy of any legal protection," Philadelphia Inquirer columnist and former Sen. Rick Santorum (R-Pa.) writes in an opinion piece. According to Santorum, "Henceforth, our federal government will treat these little human beings -- a mere 'collection of cells,' according to embryonic stem cell advocates -- with no more respect than the frog you dissected in high school biology." In addition, the federal government "will officially bless this research by giving millions of your tax dollars to scientists who will create and kill human embryos by the thousands," Santorum writes.
According to Santorum, new high-resolution fetal ultrasounds and recent debate over abortions later in pregnancy have shifted public opinion regarding abortion by demonstrating that "the 'choice' results in the death of a baby in the womb." However, "the reaction to an eight-cell embryo is different" because extracting a cell from "that 'collection of cells' -- a procedure that results in the death of the remaining cells -- evokes little emotional response or moral outrage," Santorum writes. He continues that researchers and patient advocacy groups "have successfully argued that the only real moral issue is the moral imperative to help the sick with this 'promising' research." According to Santorum, no current treatments use embryonic stem cells and neither will any anticipated treatments. However, he adds that current therapies do use adult stem cells, which are "research alternatives that don't involve the moral hazard of taking a human life." In addition, Santorum writes that research has identified "adult cells of similar potency needed in the more advanced therapies being contemplated with embryonic stem cells."
Although Obama "knew all of this," he opted to rescind the federal restrictions on embryonic stem cell research, thus taking "another step toward a world in which 'science' trumps morality and sense, a world in which right or wrong, ethical or unethical has no place in the pursuit of 'progress,'" Santorum writes. He continues that the policy reversal demonstrates that the "scientific community has successfully fought off society's placing any ethical constraint on the 'advance of science.'" According to Santorum, Obama "is now the mouthpiece for those who would like to cut down all of the moral trees that stand in the way of science." He concludes, "Today, we willingly grab the ax handle to clear the field without a thought of what may come when one day science, unfettered from morality, sees you as the next impediment to progress" (Santorum, Philadelphia Inquirer, 3/12).
Reprinted with kind permission from nationalpartnership. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.
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