Embryonic Stem Cell Research Persuasive Essay

Name: Esra OZAN

Student ID: 20702195
ENG 101-76
Essay 2 / Final Draft
04.12.08

DO NOT DESTROY NEW GENERATIONS “Biomedicine” intends to increase quality of life via new research. One of the recent biomedical research is “Human Stem Cell” from which all 210 different kinds of tissue in the human body originate(the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity, 94). Additionally, UNESCO states that separating some inner cell mass from the embryo at the blastocyst stage, they can be cultured to produce pluripotent stem cells, capable of developing into blood , muscle, or many other kinds of tissues and organs of the body (13). Thus, at first “Stem Cell” may sound hopeful for human life but
harvesting of these stem cells from “human embryos” has perplexed scientists and philisophers whether is ethical or not; so, an in extricable arguments have erupted about this issue. While a group of people believe that human embryonic stem cell researh will be cure of many common diseases; on the other hand, another group of people claim that it threatens ethical rules. Lawrence S.B. Goldstein in his article “ Providing Hope Through Stem Cell Research” expresses “ The recent discovery of human pluripotent stem cells has suddenly given us the potential to provide our most desperately ill children, friends, parents and neighbors with new tissues and organs to replace their own damaged ones.”(82). However, destroying embryos indifferently in order to heal other ill people may not be the solution. Regarding this issue, the Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity (CBHD) in their article “ Human Stem Cell Research Is Unethical” asserts that “ The human embryo must not be subject to willful destruction even if the stated motivation is to help others.”(98). Besides, they add that there are alternative methods instead of using embryos(94). From this viewpoint, human embryonic stem cell research should be proscribed and should not be funded since it is legally inequitable; ethically unacceptable ; and scientifically debatable.

Human embryonic stem cell research should not be funded and should be banned as it violates existing laws. Goldstein ,in his article “Providing Hope Through Stem Cell Research”, emphasizes “ Federal funding is the best way to guarantee that stem cell therapies are developed with the greatest consideration of public good.”(82). Contrary to Goldstein’s opinions, this research is against the human dignity and it may not be considered as “ the greatest consideration of the public good”. The CBHD in the article “Human Stem Cell Research Is Unethical” implies, about this issue, that human embryonic stem cell research assaults human dignity and “ when the dignity of one hman being is assaulted, all of us are threatened. Furthermore , federal law and the laws of many states specifically protect vulnerable human embryos from harmful experimentation”(95). That is, this research destroys the embryos, namely human beings, and this is legally unacceptable. The CBHD in the same article adds that “ The existing law which permits researchers to use fetal tissue obtained from elective abortions requires that the abortions are performed for reasons which are entirely unrelated to the research objectives ; this law thus prohibits Health and Human Services( HHS) from promoting the destruction of human life in the name of medical progress...”(96). Thus, existing laws aims to prevent not to abuse competences. It is a fact that, nobody has a right to risk human life ;and laws have been supporting this fact. In conclusion, human embryonic stem cell research should be prohibited and should not be funded because it threatens human life and human dignity ;and it is legally unjustifiable.

As human embryonic stem cell research is disrespectful of human being, it is undesirable on ethical zone.
Although Goldstein in his article “Providing Hope Through Stem Cell Research” determines “Ethically validated pluripotent stem cell research provides new hope for desperately ill people.”(84) , it is a risk for ethics. Moreover, the CBHD in the article “Human Stem Cell Research Is Unethical” implies “To manipulate and destroy huan embryos should make us all awake at night”(97). Thus, abiding by human embryonic stem cell research can easily create a guilty conscious. Furthermore, the CBHD declares that in the past there were numerous experiments which were driven by a crass utilitarian ethos which results in the creation of a “sub-class” of human beings, allowing the rights of the few to be sacrificed for the sake of potential benefit to many(98). Therefore, to victimize one human being in order to rescue another human being , undoubtfully, is unethical, tyrannical and against the human dignity. The CBHD also adds that “...we recognize that we are simply not freee to pursue good ends via unethical means of all human beings, embryos are the most defenseless against abuse”(99). From this viewpoint, destroying these defenseless human being is also unethical and may not be ignored. Briefly, human embryonic stem cell research is unethical and should be
banned.

Human embryonic stem cell research has been scientifically controversial since there are more logical ways to prefer insted of using human embryos.
The CBHD in the same article asserts that “...some evidence suggests that stem cells cultured in the laboratory may have a tendency to recongregate and form an aggregate of cells capable of begining to develop as an embryo...If embryonic stem cells do indeed possess the ability to form or develop as a human embryo, research on such stem cells could itself involve the creation and/or destruction of human life...”(100). Thus, despite of these evidences, condoning human embryonic stem cell research would be irresponsibility. Besides, in order to determine significance of stem cell research, Goldstein asserts in his article “Providing Hope Through Stem Cell Research” that “...the grim arithmetic of most organ transplants is that those who are seriously ill wait for the tragic accidental death of another person so that they may live.”(82). From this point, stem cell is an incredible discovery yet it is unethical. However, in order not to use human embryos to harvest stem cells, the CBHD submits alternative methods and adds that “ ... a promising source of more mature stem cells for the treatment of disease is hematopoietic (blood cell- producing) stem cells from bone marrow or even from the placenta or umbilical cord blood in live births.”(100). Moreover, the CBHD also argues that “These cells are already widely
used in cancer treatment and in research on treating leukemia and other diseases.”(100). Hence, instead of destroying embryos, there are alternative methods and using these methods must be more preferable for scientists. To sum up, human embryonic stem cell research is scientifically unthinkable since there are alternative methods instead of demolishing embryos.

Consequently, human embryonic stem cell research is legally undesirable as it violates human rights and human dignity; this research is ethically unpleasent since there is a victim for deliverence of another and also there is a merciless issue that eliminating defenseless human being; this research is also scientifically disputable for the reason that there are alternative methods to harvest stem cells. Therefore, killing babies by continuing this research is legally , ehically an scientifically offensive; it should not be funded and it should be proscribed.