Stem Cell Legislation

I wanted to get anyone's opinion on this story. Apparently President Bush said he would Veto stem cell research legislation. I figured I haven't posed about anything controversial in a while, so I thought this was a good one, especially as I read the article and was just in amazement at how much tunnel vision he (Bush) seems to have.

He said, "I made it very clear to the Congress that the use of federal money, taxpayers' money, to promote science which destroys life in order to save life -- I'm against that." Makes sense. I mean, why would anyone (especially the former Governor of Texas-the death penalty capital) want to destroy a life. What I don't get though is this: If the life (or embryonic cell) is going to be destroyed or not used anyway, why NOT use it to save a life. Take abortion for instance. I think we all agree it's not the best thing in the world, whether we are for it or against it. But like it or not, it is legal. So what's better? Thowing away an embryonic cell from an abortion or using it to help find a cure for diseases such as Parkinson's or Alzheimer's. I mean, you may as well try to turn a negative into some kind of good.

Now, I'm not saying we need to go and and create these cells, but why not allow for federal funding to research this further and use what is there not being use, and not going to be used. I mean, we all know the federal government funds a whole lot more unimportant things.

This is one of those issues I've never really questioned how I felt about it. Yes, it differs from a lot of my more conservative friends (although I wouldn't call myself all that liberal, I'm more of an indivual issue type person). Yes, cloning would be bad, but we all know people are going to try and do it anyway. People who probably wouldn't get or want federal funding anyway. I don't think limited funding for this is going to make those people who want to mess with nature stop what they are doing. So why not fund something so that people can show the good in it instead of always focusing on the negative?