The Stem Cell Dilemma
By Natalie Shibley, 11th grade
2007 Role Models Today Writing Contest Winner
May 31, 2007

Americans face a number of issues today:  Some, like corruption in politics, are age-old problems; others, like outsourcing, are the result of an increasingly globalized society.  Technology can present both new problems and solutions to old problems. 

Stem cell research, which has only recently become a possibility, is seen either as an ethical abomination or as a cure for numerous medical disorders.  Such research is one of the most important issues facing the nation in the news today because of both the opportunities and the ethical conflicts it presents.

Many scientists consider this research one of the most promising innovations in the medical field because stem cells have the potential to become any kind of cell and to replace any kind of tissue in the body.  A person who has a liver condition, for instance, could have the defective liver cells replaced with healthy stem cells that would assimilate into the individual’s body.  Because of this unique possibility, scientists believe that stem cell research may provide cures for medical conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, Alzheimer’s disease, cystic fibrosis, and numerous other disorders that plague thousands of individuals and their families.

What is preventing many scientists from performing research on stem cells to treat these conditions is the fact that some people have ethical or religious objections to such research.  These people think that stem cells have the potential to become human beings; thus, harming them for the purpose of research is tantamount to murder.  However, what these individuals fail to recognize is the fact that stem cells have the ability to treat or cure existing humans with debilitating medical problems.  Although the question of whether stem cells constitute human life is debatable, they certainly have the potential to cure diseases that are crippling and killing individuals whose humanity is not in question. 

Furthermore, stem cell research opens the door for many jobs in the biotechnology industry.  The state of California, which encourages such research, has experienced a surge in employment in the biomedical field.  The United States is already falling behind countries such as South Korea in the realms of science and technology, and the refusal to engage in this research sets the United States back even further.  This pursuit is important because of the jobs it provides to both the biomedical industry and its support staff and because of the international and educational image it conveys.

Stem cell research provides many opportunities for Americans medically, economically, educationally, and internationally.  Ethically, however, it provides a dilemma.  Yet the potential benefits of stem cells appear to outweigh the detractors.  Regardless of an individual’s position, stem cell research is certainly one of today’s most important, though controversial, issues.  Undoubtedly, stem cell research is something that each American should critically consider because of the many implications it presents.

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