by Craig A. Butler
Daily Lobo Columnist
This past Sunday, California Gov. Gray Davis signed a law specifically allowing embryonic stem-cell research in the state. He is being vehemently opposed in this decision by the Bush administration and the Roman Catholic Church. Since this new law contradicts the federal ban on stem-cell research, it may be struck down in court before long.
One thing that can be said for California is that it is willing to experiment with new ideas that no one else is crazy enough to take on. Most of the time, these tests fail, much to the displeasure of the California taxpayers who paid for the experimentation.
The difficulty with this bill is not that it disagrees with the current direction of the federal government and with established religious groups, but that it is actually a step in the right direction.
One of the major shortcomings of the Bush administration is its failure to understand the direction and dynamics of technological advancement. Bush made his decision to stand against stem-cell research because of his religious beliefs, but that decision may have far-reaching long-term ramifications the president has not considered.
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The United States has for the last century been the world's leader in technological development, including automobiles, airplanes, electronics, medical advances, nuclear technology and a million other things. But rather than staying on top of the major technological advances of the 21st century, America is moving to sit back and watch other nations reap the rewards.
Stem-cell research has the potential to solve numerous medical problems that today seem almost impossible to solve. A big supporter of stem cell research is Christopher Reeve, whose paralysis might be treated with the new technology. Nerve cells, like the ones in Reeve's spinal cord, are very difficult to replace once damaged.
Stem cells are the cells in human embryos that later develop into all other cells in the human body. The theory is that, with proper research into how they are told what to become, we can tell some of these stem cells to grow into nerve cells replacing the ones that a quadriplegic like Reeve has lost.
Since stem cells can become any other type, the technology may one day be able to regrow damaged organs, replace tumors with healthy cells and a handful of other "miracles." Coupled with other forms of genetic research, this could help create a world in which virtually any disease or bodily damage can be treated.
But imagine what the world will be like 30 or 40 years from now, when many of us who are university students now may need advanced medical treatments. Suppose the United States has kept up the policy of forbidding stem cell and other forms of genetic research.
How would you feel about having to travel to Canada, or Japan, or maybe even Malaysia to get the treatment you need? America's hospitals will be a distant second-class to hospitals in other nations that have fewer restrictions on genetic research. Will Americans wait for the technology to be developed elsewhere before importing it for exorbitant fees? Will we have to travel halfway across the world for a cure that ought to be commonplace?
Although the new California law may well be overturned in federal court, the debate over genetic research is not over. Future discoveries in this revolutionary field of medicine will determine the future of disease prevention and cures just as antibiotics and vaccinations did before. It may literally make the difference between life and death for you or someone you love.
Are you content to wait until it's too late to save them before deciding to support technological advancement?
