Chief Judge Royce C. Lamberth of the Federal District Court ruled that President Obama's administration's policy regarding stem cell research is justifiably illegal. The judge asserts that Obama's federal financial support of
embryonic stem cell research is a direct violation of the Dickey-Wicker Amendment. This is an annual law passed by Congress which prohibits federal funding for any “research in which a human embryo or embryos are destroyed, discarded or knowingly subjected to risk of injury or death.” The Obama Administration put its policy into action in 2009, when it granted large sums of money to stem cell research across the country. At its conception, Obama asserted that his policy was not an infringement on the Dickey-Wicker Amendment because "the federal money would be used only once the embryonic stem cells were created but would not finance the process by which embryos were destroyed". Judge Lamberth believes that the funding of stem cell research will do nothing but destroy embryos, therefore he overruled the policy. (Harris)
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| Judge Lamberth (a Reagan appointee) strikes a pose outside of Washington |
This ruling comes as a shock to many medical research centers and universities across the nation. There are four different effective types of stem cell research: embryonic, adult, umbilical cord, and
induced pluripotent stem cells. Although many have moral objections to embryonic stem cell research, its potential surpasses the others, because of the cells' immaturity and ability to be manipulated into endless possibilities. Embryonic stem cells are obtained primarily from fertility clinics, where excess embryos are likely to be destroyed regardless. This ruling will indeed stump the growth of scientific research in order to protect human life. Destroying an embryo stunts the growth of human life, but doesn't is denial hinder the advancement of the miraculous medical treatment which allows humans to thrive? I fully appreciate the immorality of destroying embryos, but if Obama's funding were to be used to make it so embryonic stem cells could indeed be created without destroying life, then perhaps the Judge was too quick in his... well judgment. On the bright-side the reduced funding of embryonic stem cell research is, in fact, protecting life and forcing the advancement of adult stem cell research. Lamberth's decision remains controversial, not due to abusing judicial authority, but because one's moral fixation may have reduced, if not diminished vital scientific growth in the eyes of certain critics.
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Embryonic stem cell under research
Harris, Gardiner. "U.S. Judge Rules Against Obaama's Srem Cell Policy" . New York Times<http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/24/health/policy/24stem.html> |
