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Jens 'n' Frens
Idle thoughts of a relatively libertarian Republican in Cambridge, MA, and whomever he invites. Mostly political.
"A strong conviction that something must be done is the parent of many bad measures."
-- Daniel Webster
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Thursday, September 16, 2004 :::
K-Lo, in the Corner, points out this caption, which outsources the camels of "religious conservatives" dominating the Republican Party, as an example of media bias. I want to comment on the assertion that Bush has taken a "tough stand... against... stem-cell research" (follow the link -- the elipses don't mean I mangled the quote). This is not the first time I've seen the administration's position described as extremist. So I'd like to ask, what would a moderate position look like?
Bush has not tried to ban stem-cell research, as one might infer from the quote above. The administration has made no attempt to put any restrictions on adult stem-cell research, nor on privately-funded embryonic stem-cell research. Administration policy limits federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research to certain pre-existing lines. I can only think of one more-liberal position a politician could reasonably take. Is the most extreme liberal position "moderate", and every position more restrictive "extreme"? I don't buy that.
I have also seen assertions that the administration's position is based on "bad science". This is wrong, too. The position is not based on bad science or good science -- Bush did not decide that embryonic stem-cell research is a dead end. He has taken the position that the sizable faction -- I would guess a minority, but not a small one -- of American taxpayers who have strong moral objections to the destruction of human embryos should not have to pay for the destruction of human embryos. It is not a question of science -- the President knows that he is not a scientist -- but of values.
::: posted by Steven at 7:05 PM
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