The Hudson Valley Coalition for Life joins countless voices of reason that question the timing of President Obama's Executive decision on embryonic stem cell research and experimentation, its innate abuse of human rights, and its implications for society, as well as for the future of our country.
Those who believed that an Obama presidency would be centrist in its actions and policies will have to rethink that one. Fifty days into his Administration President Obama has again wielded his Executive power and effectively shut down opposition and debate on several important actions that affect human life and that challenge the "self-evident" truth that the dignity of human beings and their right to life come not from the vacillating views of another - not even a President.
On March 10 President Obama signed an Executive order that reversed President Bush's measured stance on embryonic stem cell research. Where Bush sought to tread lightly on the obvious moral and ethical issues involved with using nascent human life for experiment and research by halting new experimentation, Obama has opted for the heavy "footprint". Obama opened the gates for expanded U.S. taxpayer funding for embryonic stem cell research - billions of dollars. He uses arguable polling data that sites a majority of Americans supporting this move, but we question even the underlying understanding of such a poll by its participants. Existing alternative adult stem cell methods, including the recent development of embryonic-like stem cells, have shown many successes (70+) in clinical applications and cures, while embryonic stem cell research has shown little immediate promise and instead major medical problems like tumor growth. Few Americans (including the media) know or understand all the facts on this complex topic. Factual obsfuscation by many in the media on the stem cell debate has been quite successful. While it is the nature and the power of the media to direct or deflect and drive an issue on emotion rather than facts, we had hoped for the promised broader discussion prior to an action like this that "does harm".
In addition to this assault on human life, soon after his inauguration and his rhetoric to reduce abortions, President Obama reversed the "Mexico City Policy" and sent U.S. taxpayer dollars overseas again to organizations that promote and perform abortions. The Bush policy had reversed the Clinton stance.
Our compassion takes to heart the suffering of those who look with great anticipation for a cure for themselves or for a loved one. Our position will always be that the use of taxpayer monies for experimental research should be measured, especially when serious ethical problems exist now and will compound in the future. History has taught us to be wary, even of one's fellow man. Our founder's political system of checks and balances alludes not merely to a financial balance sheet, but to the protection of the most vulnerable among us. To continue to ignore this prescient core principle invites the unthinkable upon ourselves and our posterity.
Embryos - the new 'slaves' of our society.
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