The Great Debate Over Stem Cell Research
This article contains invaluable information on the stem cell research debate. It explains the basics of stem cell research and uses this information to highlight the reasons it is controversial. It has a few great quotes that I will be able to use and some good information as well.
The False Controversy of Stem Cells
This article is centered around the fact that stem cells simply should not be controversial. Its main argument is that fertility clinics, which kill "hundreds of thousands of unborn children in a year," are not controversial, and therefore stem cell research should not be either. This article is very biased but makes a good exception - that if you think fertility clinics should be shut down as well, go ahead and argue against stem cell research. Otherwise, you have no right. I could use many strong, resounding quotes from this article in support of stem cell research.
Stem Cells
This article is very informative and covers a lot of ground. It briefly describes stem cell research, but I should not have to use this information because I have found it in other articles. Its strongest point is the description of Bush and Obama's separate views on stem cell research. This establishes the controversy as a national concern.
Court Lets U.S. Resume Paying for Embryo Study
This article further describes the court case surrounding Obama's support of stem cell research and the Dickey-Wicker law. I did find one good quote in this article, b ut most of the other information I already knew from the New York Times article "Stem Cells."
Stem Cell Research
This article pretty much contains everything I could possibly need. If I ever run into a problem in my paper and can't find some piece of information in my other articles, I will be able to find it in this article. Its detailed descriptions will definitely come in handy, but it won't be very good for direct quotes.
Direct Quotes:
"For pro-life advocates, the moral cost of continuing such research outweighs any potential benefits. For scientists, however, the possibilities are both awe-inspiring and bewildering." - The Great Stem Cell Debate
- I would like to use this as a quote because it captures the essence of my paper exactly. It shows both sides of the story and briefly explains why each side feels the way they do, and for some reason it is very resounding in my mind.
"No one denies the moral dilemma of the stem cell debate. But to turn back now, researchers say, would be to turn our backs on a bright, sustaining light because we are terrified of the shadows it creates." - The Great Stem Cell Debate
- This is another perfect quote from the same article as the first. It remains mostly unbiased but proves my point yet again - that the answers when it comes to stem cell research are not and will never be clear. It might be morally wrong to continue stem cell research, but the price we would pay if we were able to stop it completely would be extremely high.
"An embryo used in stem-cell research... consists of a few dozen cells that together are too small to be seen without a microscope. It has no consciousness, no self-awareness, no ability to feel love or pain. The smallest insiect is far more human in every respect except potential." - The False Controversy of Stem Cells
- I like this quote because it proves another very valid point - these embryos that could potentially save so many lives would otherwise be thrown out. So why NOT use them? Still, that is a very difficult question to answer because, as said before, those embryos could possibly become humans. Yet they certainly wouldn't. They could, but they wouldn't.
"This is a momentous day not only for science but for the hopes of thousands of patients and their families who are relying on... life-saving discoveries and therapies that could come from stem cell research." - quoted in Court Lets U.S. Resume Paying for Embryo Study
- This quote, which was said by a scientist, draws directly to the court ruling that federal funding could continue to support stem cell research. I would like to quote it because the fact that a professional said it makes it much more valid and strengthens my argument.
Paraphrases
The stem cell debate has no clear answers. On the one hand, using stem cells to research cures that could save millions destroys potential human lives. On the other, preserving these potential lives means slamming the breaks on cures for the countless sufferers of many different diseases. For this reason, it is often difficult for even the most obstinate pro-lifer to take a stance on the issue.
- I chose to paraphrase the paragraph this information came from simply because it was very lengthy and, while informative, none of the passages struck me as particularly inspiring. It's necessary information, but nothing I read would strike a particular chord.
Stem cells are so valuable because they can grow into almost any type of cell in the body. Therefore, they have the potential to replace ailing cells with new, healthy ones. For this reason, stem cells are extremely important to people suffering from both illnesses and diseases.
- I paraphrased this information because, if I were to use it as a quote, I would simply be regurgitating sentences from my article. It is important to my paper because it describes the bare essence of stem cells. It lays down the foundation for my paper.
Stem cells are controversial because they are taken from human embryos. Usually these embryos are leftovers from fertility clinics. Pro-life advocates see this practice as the destruction of potential human life. In one case, a clinic even grew embryos specifically for research purposes. Stem cells can also be taken from aborted fetuses, a method that is frowned upon even more heavily than leftover in-vitro embryos.
- This information describes exactly why stem cells are controversial and will be very valuable to me, but there were no exact quotes that stuck with me.
Many stem cell opponents argue that adult stem cells can be used. However, these cells do not yield results as promising as cells taken from embryos. Adult cells can only create immune system, brain, or muscle cells and do not reproduce as quickly as their younger counterparts. For this reason, their potential is much more limited than those of cells taken from embryos.
- This information both shows and shoots down an opposing view at the same time. It shows that, for the best results, stem cells must be taken from embryos and not adult cells. I took the information from two different articles and combined it, so it would not be easy to quote.
Stem cells are important because they have the ability to help the countless people suffering from diseases like Alzheimer's, Parkinson's, diabetes, and heart failure. They can develop into any of the 200 different types of cells found in the human body in unlimited quantities. For these reasons, their potential is endless. They hold promise for hundreds of thousands of people whose lives are affected by debilitating illnesses and injuries.
- This passage is very important to the core of my paper - the reasons why stem cell research is so important. I collected this information from several areas within the same article, so I would be unable to quote it.
It is important to note that stem cell research has not yet yielded any specific medical treatments. However, as with all biomedical studies, this will come with time. Procedures like bone marrow biopsies, blood transfusions, kidney dialysis, organ transplants, and even simple antibiotics all took time to evolve. The most important thing is that stem cell research be continued. Unfortunately, due to its speculative nature, it has not been fully carried out. In order for the greatest good to come from stem cell research, it must be unhindered by any laws or protests.
- This information would be great for support of stem cell research. It admits that stem cell research has not yet yielded results - but it will, as long as the controversy and limitations surrounding it dies down. I also collected this from a broad articlea nd therefore cannot and do not want to quote it directly.
In "The False Controversy of Stem Cells" author Michael Kinsley uses the example of a state representative who decided to support stem cell research after his wife's success with in vitro. This proves the connection between fertility clinics and stem cell research labs. Both "destroy" embryos. They really are no different, and yet people do not protest against procedures like in vitro. This shows how unfair the stem cell controversy is.
- This paraphrased passage would be great for support of stem cell research. It is basically a summary of the entire article, which would be WAY too long to quote. It provides a specific example, which would grealy strengthen my paper.
The Dickey-Wicker amendment of 1996 states that tax dollars cannot be used to create human embryos that are meant to be "destroyed, discarded, or knowingly subjected to risk of injury."
- I mixed the quotes here because I didn't want the whole passage to be a quote, but I wanted the actual definition of the amendment to be clear and correct. I can further draw off this information and discuss legislation that came later.
President George W. Bush was extremely conservative when it came to stem cell resarch. He allowed only minimal research and placed many strict restrictions on this research. He even vetoed a bill that would have reduced some of these limitations. When President Obama took office he made it very obvious that the Democrats would support stem cell research. Due to the Dickey-Wicker amendment, however, research can only be conducted on existing colonies of cells taken from embryos previous to the passage of the law. A recent court battle decided that the government can research on these cells but cannot create new embryos for further studies.
- This is a lengthy paraphrase, but it ccaptures the main essence of the article and will be very useful in my legislation paragraph. Because the article was written in a no-nonsense, purely factual manner and contained no bias, it did not have any quotes I would like to use.
The embryos used in stem cell research are only about five days old. Embryos are not even considered to be fetuses until an entire eight weeks after conception.
- Thsi is important information because it helps people understand exactly how "young" the embryos used in stem cell research are. I took this information from two different parts of the same article.
Thousands of leftover embryos are unceremoniously discarded each year and hundreds of thousands more reamin frozen indefinitely. Why should these otherwise "useless" embryos not be used to improve the lives of many?
- These sentences cannot be quoted because I did not find them directly in any article. I mostly inferred them for myself based on the articles, and I feel like they would go well in a conclusion. Still, there is always the "but" that comes afterwards.
Bare Outline
Intro
BP1: What stem cell research is
BP2: Why it's important
BP3: Why it's controversial
BP4: Opposition's arguments, other options
BP5: Supporter's arguments, why other options won't work
BP6: Legislation, continuing national concern
Conclusion
