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| Bush on the Fence
by John M. Curtis Copyright August 11, 2001
Bush’s instincts mirrored religious conservatives whose proclivities toward preserving scripture outweigh the promises of modern science. Speaking in tongues or laying on hands won’t cure Christopher Reeve’s spinal cord injury or Ronald Reagan’s Alzheimer’s disease. Playing his political hand, Bush short-changed the stem cell field, begging for the seed money unavailable through the private sector. “Once again, the president has done the bare minimum in order to try and posture himself with the majority of Americans,” said House Minority Leader Richard A. Gephardt (D-Mo.), echoing the views of the scientific community, but whose credibility took a licking excusing Rep. Gary Condit (D-Calif.) in the Chandra Levy Case. Defending the White House, “the president has done the nation great service by allowing promising embryonic research to proceed while maintaining strong restrictions on the extent of the research,” said Sen. Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), the one-time heart surgeon who proved, if nothing else, that he’s completed his metamorphosis as a spin doctor. Frist couldn’t be more off base, knowing full well what it takes to launch legitimate research. Confusing the matter, Bush’s speech made references to human cloning, lumping stem cell research into the same moral boat since it involves tampering with embryonic tissue. Analyzing the speech, it was clear that Bush was weaving a feeble excuse for pro-lifers, viewing stem cell research as an insidious by-product of the abortion trade. “We hope and pray that President Bush will return to a principled stand against treating some human lives as nothing more that objects to be manipulated,” said Bishop Joseph A. Florenza, president of the U.S. conference of Catholic Bishops, calling his decision “morally unacceptable.” Listening to ethicists and clerics, Bush agonized over philosophy when he should have followed scientific community. “I think it’s most unfortunate,” said David Baltimore, president of Caltech. “What he’s done is exactly what I was worried about—which is to assume that the existing lines have all the power that we need,” recognizing that Bush sandbagged researchers with unwanted red tape. “Everybody is at me on both sides,” Bush reflected, expressing the fierce battle to sway his decision. Pressure from the religious right turned a rather simple decision into a complex political morass. Had the White House paid attention to the scientific community, he wouldn’t have agonized over endless ideological squabbles with little relevancy to the man in the street. “I don’t know that the compromise is going to take us as far as we needed to go,” said Ron Stephans whose 1-year-old son died from Type-I diabetes in 1994. Like other Americans suffering from Alzheimer’s and Parkinson’s disease, they don’t ask for church approval when seeking cures of dreaded diseases. Taking cues from religious circles violates separation of church and state, and sets a dangerous precedent for scientific advancements. Science doesn’t encroach on religion, why should religion encroach on science? Naming Leon Kass to head a White House panel on stem cell research, Bush hogtied the industry, placing one of the nation’s most controversial bio-ethicists at the helm. Kass frequently condemns cloning and fetal-tissue research, sounding more like Rev. Jerry Falwell than a man of letters. Ballistic nuclear missiles also violate God’s law, unleashing the dark forces of nature for violent ends. But the religious community doesn’t lobby the defense department to abandon nuclear testing or arsenals. Why should the religious right pressure presidents about medical science? All the pious talk about stem cells ignores the long history of science, condemning pioneers for making spectacular discoveries. Galileo paid the price for violating the God’s law that the sun revolved around the earth. When the “black death”—bubonic plague—was finally attributed to bacteria from rodents, clerics still decried the plague as retribution from God. Allowing religious groups to dictate the stem cell debate opens up a dangerous can of worms. “The prospect of cloning, so repulsive to contemplate, is the occasion for deciding whether we shall be slaves of unregulated innovation and, ultimately, its artifacts, or whether we shall remain free human beings who guide our medical powers toward enhancement of human dignity,” said Kass, displaying the kind of incendiary rhetoric now earning him the chair of a special White House panel. Pressure from the religious right shouldn’t dictate funding for scientific research. Breaking arms at the White House violates the separation of church and state by ignoring the rights of non-religious citizens supporting unrestricted research. Limiting government funding to existing cell lines, shot scientists in the feet. Funding promising new research shouldn’t come with so many strings preventing scientists from doing their jobs. New technologies like anti-missile defense or commercial space travel don’t have tyrannical superintendents arbitrarily setting parameters for scientific research. No scientist can make breakthroughs with big brother on his back. Under pressure, Bush’s compromised the integrity of stem cell research. Art and science don’t do well with chaperones. If the White House is really serious about supporting groundbreaking research, it’s time to call back the religious dogs and turn scientists loose to do their jobs. Tying scientists’ hands only turns back the clock. About the Author John M. Curtis is editor of OnlineColumnist.com and columnist for the Los Angeles Daily Journal. He’s director of a Los Angeles think tank specializing in political consulting and strategic public relations. He’s the author of Dodging The Bullet and Operation Charisma. |
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itting on the fence, President George W. Bush announced his long-awaited decision on stem cell research, agreeing to fund the 60 existing cell lines but failing to meet the challenge of bio-scientists facing the daunting challenge of curing dreaded diseases. Dealing with the stem cell debate as a political issue, Bush missed a golden opportunity to lead, assuring the U.S. its rightful place as the world’s leader in biotech research. “There are going to be some who feel betrayed but it will not cause a break with the administration,” said Marshall Whittmann, a conservative analyst with the Hudson Institute think tank, reflecting on the political ramifications. By handcuffing scientists to existing stem cells, the White House opted for half-measures in a field demanding no holds barred. “If we are not prepared to go all the way, we shouldn’t go at all,” said John F. Kennedy, proposing dramatic new funding for the fledgling space program at Rice University in 1963. Setting clear priorities, “We choose to go to the moon, not because it is easy but because it is hard . . .” promising to put a man on the moon by the end of the 1960s.|
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