Why is THIS Called "Controversial?"
The Times of London is reporting,"Sir Richard Branson will launch his most controversial business to date as he moves into stem-cell storage and the biotech sector." Huh? The stem cells in question come from umbilical cord blood. How in the world could that be considered "controversial?" Perhaps in the UK such private storage facilities are frowned upon: I don't know. But storing UCB stem cells is utterly uncontentious. Indeed, last year here in the USA, Congress unanimously passed and the President signed into law, a bill creating regional UCB stem cell banks.
posted by Wesley J. Smith @ 5:50 PM
5 Comments
5 Comments:
I thought this comment was strange.
"Some anti-abortion groups believe that any use of stem cells will lead to human cloning." Really? That's news to me.
Maybe there are pro-life groups like that, but I'm an "anti-abortionist" and I haven't heard of them. I think I know most of the reputable ones and they all seem to support almost all stem cell research, at least the non-embryonic kind. The Catholic Bishops in America are very supportive.
I can't tell if the reporter is so caught up in the hype/spin/cloud of dust that he doesn't know the difference between the sources of stem cells.
I think this says something about the reporter and some in the media. I think some of them are so wrapped up in or taken in by the embryonic stem cell propaganda and mythology that they are disconnected/insulated from a big part of reality on this subject/issue. I wonder if the reporter knows that pro-lifers are out front saying that almost all stem cell research seems to be a good thing that we can support.
I can't tell if some reporters are so sold out to the embryonic stem cell mythology/ideology that they can't see a bigger part of the picture/playing field, or if they are just pure advocates.
I think it's a strange comment.
Just mixing "stem cells" with embryonic stem cells. ESCR does lead to human cloning. The other kinds do not. In this case, probably ignorance.
I figured they were talking about one of those insanely narrow little groups that believes organ transplants and blood transfusions are the work of the devil. Funky little groups like that are fun for the media - they lump everybody all together under this weird heading 'cause controversy and debate sell as fast as sex and violence do.
I agree with Don and Wesley. It appears to be ignorance.
But I think there is a general reluctance for biotech in general. Call it techonophobia, call it the "organic" movement or whatever, but this general reluctance may be mislabled as "controversy" in this article.
Just an thought.
I don't have anything serious to add, but I can't resist this Friday morning making a couple "cute" remarks.
1) Maybe he's only going to work to cure his own employees like he purchased a caseload of Tamiflu for his airline (which actually makes sense because you want to reduce the intl travel impact of epidemics)
and
2) It's a shame that he isn't going into reproductive cloning. He would have to call it "Virgin Births" (Groan)
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