Two scientists had achieved cold fusion in a jar of water. Breathless blow-dried TV reporters explained that this promised an endless source of cheap, perhaps virtually free, energy.
The politicians reacted predictably. Moscow proclaimed that Soviet scientists had done the same thing at least twenty times. Washington immediately coughed up $25 million to start a National Cold Fusion Institute at the University of Utah. And then it turned out it was all nonsense, or as one documentary called it, “confusion in a jar.”
So when I heard the other day that science had made a breakthrough so that we could just use plain old ordinary skin cells instead of embryonic stem cells ...
I thought, yep, fusion in a jar. To be fair, the skin cell breakthrough does seem legitimate and promising. After all, two teams of scientists did it on two different continents at the same time.
Yet to say that we can now drop embryonic stem cell research is silly. The religious right seems to have seized on the stem cell issue with surprising fervor. It is unclear to me why this is, except perhaps as a way of taking on abortion sideways. The right-to-life crowd seems especially hysterical about this, spewing out half-truths and distortions.
I have seen them tell people embryos are being killed for this purpose, which is not true, or that the stem cell researchers want to use aborted fetuses, which isn’t true either, especially since a fetus isn’t an embryo. What the scientists who do this work are using are clumps of cells from fertility clinics, which otherwise would be thrown away.
Right-to-Life of Michigan would probably outlaw fertility clinics if they could, as one of their officials told me in a rare moment of candor. They think any meddling with biology is wrong.
That is, except if they want a tummy tuck. They have, of course, a perfect right to their beliefs, and to live the way they want to.
Unfortunately, they have had too much success imposing their beliefs on us, with the result that science is stunted and the already feeble Michigan economy is being further damaged. Right to Life of Michigan wants you to fear that babies will be ripped from the womb for human cloning experiments. That’s not going to happen.
What could happen instead are cures for macular degeneration, Parkinson’s Disease and spinal cord injuries. Former Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, a Tennessee Republican, and Utah Senator Orrin Hatch are anti-abortion. They are also totally in favor of embryonic stem-cell research, as is Nancy Reagan.
State Rep. Paul Condino has a package of bills before the House Judiciary committee that would lift restrictions on this work in Michigan. But Right to Life is determined to intimidate the legislature into rejecting these bills. You might want to let your lawmakers know what you think.
We hear a lot from the political left about so-called "junk science" on the part of the political right.
This column by Mr. Lessenberry keeps that tradition alive and well.
So let's pause for just a moment of equal opportunity in "junk science."
First, there is the stem-cell research debate, in which no one has been more guilty of junk science claims than John Edwards, as both a Vice Presidential and Presidential candidate. Three years ago, Charles Krauthammer wrote this remarkable rebuttal to some of Edwards' more inflammatory (but now standard) scientific howlers:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A34167-2004Oct14.html
Then, there is Edwards' previous history of capitalizing for millions in his career as a North Carolina "bad baby" litigator. The stock-in-trade in those cases is unscientific testimony from discredited experts as to the causes of cerebral palsy. Edwards paid his experts well, and they effectively returned the favor.
There are thousands upon thousand of lawsuits premised upon junk science as to the cause and nature -- indeed, the exisitence -- of any injury at all, in scores of product- and drug-liability claims. Junk science is the mother's milk of the Democrat party's chief fundraisers; the trial lawyers.
And let's not forget about our friend Robert F. Kennedy, Jr. He is now railing against global warming, as a result of his association with the Riverkeepers group in the Hudson Valley region of New York state. Kennedy Junior's involvement with that group arose as part of a public service obligation in connection with an arrest for heroin possession, but never mind that. Kennedy's signature issue is his claim that mercury-containing thimerosol in childhhod vaccinations has caused thousands if not millions of autism cases. But there isn't a shred of real scientific evidence to support that claim.
It's funny how the left wants to regard global warming science and stem cell research science with such solemnity, and at the same time regards medical science and epidemiology with such derision.
It's the politics, I guess.
Posted by: Anonymous | December 20, 2007 at 05:18 PM
Of course they do, dear.
Posted by: Jack Lessenberry | December 20, 2007 at 07:41 PM
Using a potential human life to prolong or even save another's is akin to employing a cigarette tax to fund a health care program. Something about the means/end just doesn't feel right.
Research on existing restricted stem cell lines has produced a significant advancement in understanding. I'll be letting my lawmakers know that an approach to this research that is sensitive to the moral and ethical beliefs of everyone is the right one.
Finally, the implication that lifting restrictions on stem cell research will improve Michigan's economy is simply preposterous.
Posted by: Dan | December 22, 2007 at 12:25 AM
"Unfortunately, they have had too much success imposing their beliefs on us..."
Indeed! And those beliefs are oftentimes founded on science fiction or religious rhetoric. I say let the scientists get on with their work!
JP Lovell
Spokesman, Human Cloning Foundation
humancloning.org
thecloneblog.com
Posted by: JP Lovell | December 22, 2007 at 07:01 AM
Mr. Lessenberry,
You write, "I have seen them tell people embryos are being killed for this purpose, which is not true..."
Are you trying to argue that human embryos aren't killed when human embryonic stem cells are extracted from them? That would be a rather dubious claim.
I don't know how you can claim Right to Life of Michigan is peddling in half-truths and distortions (evidence please?) when you've falsely claimed on a number of occasions that embryonic stem cell research is banned, "outlawed," and forbidden in Michigan when you're well aware that researchers at the U of M are working with human embryonic stem cells.
You should also know that Rep. Condino is the sponsor of any bills regarding stem cell research. Rep. Andy Meisner and Rep. Mark Meadows are the main sponsors of the bills I believe you are referencing. Rep. Condino isn't even listed as a co-sponsor.
Have you even taken the time to read the bills you're supporting so strongly?
Posted by: David | January 07, 2008 at 04:03 PM
Typo - Rep. Condino is not the sponsor of the bills.
Posted by: David | January 08, 2008 at 09:42 AM