Funding Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Scientists all over the world understand the awesome power that lies behind the use of stem cells. That is why so many passionate students and doctors are willing to leave the United States to work on what they believe is important to society. By not federally funding embryonic stem cells, The United States is backing down in an area of intellectual advancement that will be extremely beneficial in the future. This can be compared to backing out of the space race with Russia in the late 1960’s. If we had, we may not be the sole superpower left on the planet today. Medical technology such as this is not only valuable economically to the country who masters it, but valuable as a way of ridding our families and citizens from the pain and the torment of losing a loved one.
By not federally funding embryonic stem cell research, The United States government is damaging our medical intelligence since many students and doctors are leaving the country to study and research. This is a huge intelligence loss to our country and our medical systems. Christopher Thomas Scott, a professor at Stanford University, explains that many new medical students look at their chances of becoming a professor or scientist in a certain field, and if there is no federal funding for that area of research they are liable to either leave the country to study or switch to some federally funded area of research.
…And what happens with that is once those young scientists pick different careers, you create a knowledge gap inside the American academic system. And with that knowledge gap, you lose a bunch of things. You lose the ability to train new students, you lose the ability to bring therapies to patients quickly, you lose an institutional or maybe a scientific memory about this important area of science. And that knowledge then goes to other countries. (3-4)
Professor Scott’s view is very enlightening and brings a strong point to the table when we start debating whether or not this research is appropriate. We are losing our intelligence in the field of stem cells to countries that see its potential and these countries will be advanced in the field and may make billions of dollars off of the technology. The United States may need to send patients over to Europe for medical attention, downgrading our integrity as a medical superpower.
