Honesty. What Michael Kinsley is missing in the stem cell debate. :: Stem Cells

Stem Cells: July 7, 2006
Honesty. What Michael Kinsley is missing in the stem cell debate.

In today's Slate, Michael Kinsley has a long article on embryonic stem cell research, in-vitro fertilization and prolifers. His basic thought is this: Prolifers don't oppose the deaths of human embryos at in vitro fertilization clinics as strongly as they oppose killing human embryos for research. Therefore, the majority of prolifers opposed to killing human embryos for their stem cells are "willfull(y) ignoran(t) and indifferen(t) to logic."

Some excerpts:

As one of those people myself (I have Parkinson's), I am not an objective analyst of what the U.S. government's continuing near-ban on stem-cell research is costing our society and the world.

It's amazing that in a piece where he accuses prolifers of willful ignorance, Kinsley can't come anywhere close to being honest about the political controversy regarding embryonic stem cells. To say the United States has a "near-ban on stem cell research" is laughably absurd. Neither adult stem cell research nor embryonic stem cell research is anywhere near banned in the United States. In fact, both types of research (though I'm assuming Kinsey is specifically referring to embryonic) receive millions of dollars in federal support. A number of states have also committed millions (billions in California) to embryonic stem cell research. To assert there is a "near-ban" on research which is completely legal in the United States and funded by the federal government and state governments is something only a less-than-serious commentator would write.

It's also important to point out that the current political controversy over embryonic stem cells being fought in Congress isn't over whether embryonic stem cell research should be legal or not and not over if embryonic stem cell research should receive funding but over whether embryonic stem cell lines created after August of 2001 should receive federal funding. Kinsley doesn't mention any of these details - I guess simply stating "near-ban" must have been so much easier.

Naturally, I think it's (the U.S.'s mythological "near-ban"- JJ) costing too much. No other potential therapy�including adult stem cells�is nearly as promising for my ailment and others. Evaluate that as you wish.

Kinsley's evidence for this assertion...... crickets chripping......I feel sorry that Kinsley has been so misled or so misled himself to the point where he thinks embryonic stem cells are more promising for his ailment (Parkinson's) than adult stem cells. Embryonic stem cells are nowhere near treating people with Parkinson's while adult stem cells have already treated a man named Dennis Turner with rather amazing results.

After misleading his readers regarding basic stem cell research facts, Kinsley proceeds to explain how more human embryos are created than IVF clinics plan to implant, how human embryos are often discarded by in vitro fertilization clinics and how many human embryos fail to implant (in both IVF and natural reproduction).

Kinsley then attempts to make the argument that prolifers who don't publicly oppose certain IVF clinic practices as much as they oppose embryonic stem cell research shouldn't be taken seriously. Now this type of argument does nothing to prove the moral claims of prolifers opposed to embryonic stem cell research and its federally-funding wrong. It's merely a semi-sophisticated ad hominem attack which attempts to discredit prolife arguments by attacking those who make these arguments instead of working to actually prove the arguments wrong.

It also seems that Kinsley is relatively ignorant about how a number of prolifers feel about in-vitro fertilization and how it is often practiced (Serge summed up his feelings on IVF here ). Now Kinsley is probably correct in assuming that a large percentage of prolife people are ignorant about how human embryos are often treated in IVF clinics. But are prolifers who are ignorant about how IVF is often practiced "willfull(y) ignoran(t)" or are they just not informed.

I could go on and on with more of Kinsley's assertions and positions but I'll leave it at this, for now at least.

Posted by JivinJ at July 7, 2006 12:59 PM

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Prior Articles:

"There Must Be Another Way:" Breakthrough Stem Cell Scientist Tells His Story. - Dec 11, 2007
Translation of "induced Pluripotent (Adult) Stem Cells" - Nov 20, 2007
Nobel Prize for Adult Stem Cell Research? - Oct 08, 2007
Hilllary Clinton wants federal tax dollars to pay for research on stem cells from cloned human embryos - Oct 05, 2007
StemLifeLine pushing parents to use extra embryos to "protect the future" - Sep 11, 2007
Embryonic Stem Cells Repair Human Heart? Not Hardly - Aug 27, 2007
Lawsuit moves MI Gov. Granholm to remove embryonic stem cell petition from website - Aug 13, 2007
Redefining the Human Embryo - Jul 04, 2007

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Comments

I called Dennis Turner on 4-24-06 and his Parkinson's symptoms are worse than ever. Moreover, Dr. Levesque's Phase II is not going forward.
When you call Kinsley's honesty into question you need to pay more attention to your own. Like Kinsley, I have Parkinson's disease and know what the treatments are for PD and adult stem cells is not one of them. I have had 2 DBS brain surgeries (for which you must be awake) to control my tremors and this surgery is still state-of-the-art treatment for PD. Even if Levesque's experiment on Turner had been a success, he would be ONLY ONE PERSON, and that would not make it routine treatment.
Can you possibly imagine how horrible it is to suffer from this disease and have people like you lying about how adult stem cells are being used to treat it?. Have you no shame?

Posted by: Rayilyn Brown on July 7, 2006 6:37 PM

Hi Rayilyn,
While Turner's treatment may not have lasted forever - he was still treated and his symptoms decreased for a decent period of time. It's patently untrue of Kinsley to say embryonic stem cells are a more promising than adult stem cells.

I'm sorry that you are suffering from Parkinson's but that doesn't give you the right to attack me for sharing results (though temporary) of Turner's treatment.

I never stated that adult stem cells are curing Parkinson's or treating a large number of Parksinson's patient. I directed people to the testimony of Dennis Turner.

If you believe that embryonic stem cells will treat your Parkinson's, you've been misled.

Posted by: Jivin J on July 11, 2006 12:09 PM

If one accepts the premises by which President Bush vetoed this bill, does it not follow that we MUST shut down in vitro firtilization clinics.

Can someone help me out on this? It's an honest question.

Posted by: Frank on July 19, 2006 10:18 PM