Letter to Senator Barack Obama Regarding Stem Cells

Senator Obama,

Time and again I have been impressed by your ability to bypass partisan bickering by first acknowledging the concerns on both sides of an issue, and then by offering a practical and clear vision of how you consider the issue in light of these concerns. And the fact that I keep finding your perspectives on issues of importance both thoughtful and wise gives me hope that great things are in store for you in the future. This brings me to my present concern. Just today I learned that a new source of stem cells has been discovered, and that these stem cells may hold the same promise as embryonic stem cells. I think this is fantastic news and should be applauded by all sides of the debate over stem cell research in this country. Many thoughtful individuals find the harnessing of embryonic stem cells morally suspect - even if it has the potential to yield tremendous scientific gains in the fields of health and medicine. I'm sympathetic with these worries - and this is partly why I see this as such great news. If we can achieve these scientific gains without engaging in practices that are ethically worrisome, then much of the current debate goes away - and everyone (by in large) gets what they want. Here all I ask is that you take notice and consider promoting this avenue of research as the way through the horns of the present controversy.

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More info can be found here and here.

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