Between Stem Cells and a Hard Place

by Tommi Avicolli-Mecca, 2007-12-03

Politics, like the stage, is all about perception -- not reality.

Consider that President George Bush is now being hailed as a hero by some for his opposition to stem cell research, which conservatives are now saying led to the latest scientific breakthrough: Japanese and American scientists have turned skin cells into stem cells, thus avoiding the use of microscopic matter from human embryos.

It’s all very Orwellian. Not the scientists’ work, but the spin conservative columnists and others are putting on this discovery.

There’s no doubt that in 2001 Bush nixed federal bucks for stem cell research not out of moral concerns, but to pander to the craziest among his supporters: The Christian fundamentalist crowd that hates homos with a passion and sees signs of an impending apocalyptic end to humanity looming in the very near future.

No rational politician would listen to this minority of voters, even if they are credited with having elected him or her. Polls show that most Americans back stem cell research. It’s not surprising. With the potential to cure all sorts of human ailments (cancer, heart problems, Parkinson’s, etc.), who wouldn’t want to pour lots of money into it?

The answer is quite simple: The televangelist crowds that flock to hear their very wealthy ministers preach the word of a God who demands they protect microscopic bits of the unborn, not the lives of Iraqis. Some human life has never been sacred to some people.

With the possibility that research can continue without embryonic cells, Republicans beholden to the Christian right can have their cake and eat it, too. They can support vital scientific research that could save their own necks someday and keep those very vocal Bible-thumpers quiet. And they can even score a few points for their president whose approval rating is the lowest it’s ever been.

The problem is that the issue isn’t going away. Stem cell researchers aren’t packing up their petri dishes. The reprogramming of skin cells isn’t ready for human use. Not yet. There are problems. The transformation of the skin cells was achieved by use of genes and viruses that can result in cancer in human subjects. Even if that hurdle is overcome, there’s no proof these cells will be as effective as actual stem cells.

Shinya Yamanaka, one of the chief scientists involved with the latest discovery, is not declaring victory. Quite the contrary. In a letter to a scientific journal, Yamanaka wrote: “We hold that research into all avenues of human stem cell research must proceed together. Society deserves to have the full commitment of scientific inquiry at its service. And science is a practice that works best when it is approached with an open and creative mind. Research into one approach can inspire new ideas in unpredictable and exciting ways.”

Saying that stem cell research is no longer needed is wishful thinking on the part of conservatives who want the issue to disappear.

The only way out is for conservatives to admit their mistake and push for a revoking of the ban on federal dollars for stem cell research.

Tommi Avicolli Mecca is a radical Italian queer atheist writer and performer with a website: www.avicollimecca.com