Rhetoric vs. Reality on ESC Research Guidelines
RHETORIC:
Family Research Council: "The action by the President today will, in effect, allow scientists to create their own guidelines without proper moral restraints. The President's new policy will allow cloning of human embryos for research."
REALITY:
AP: President Barack Obama says human cloning is "dangerous, profoundly wrong" and has no place in society...Obama said the government will develop strict guidelines for [embryonic stem cell] research because misuse or abuse is unacceptable. He said he would ensure that the government never opens the door to the use of cloning for human reproduction.
Posted by Katie on March 9, 2009 1:55 PM | Link |
Comments
The president ruled out reproductive cloning (making a clone into a baby).
He did not rule out research or therapeutic cloning (cloning an embryo to harvest its stem cells).
That is what FRC means. The AP story is only partially true.
Posted by: Michael | March 11, 2009 4:27 PM
Thanks for pointing out the important distinction between reproductive and therapeutic cloning. However, it's important to note that the executive order left intact the Dickey Wicker amendment, which prohibits federal funding of research that creates or destroys embryos for research.
Posted by: Dan | March 11, 2009 5:47 PM
