Doug Forrester looks like a fish out of water. He's been flipping and flailing on his position on stem cell research, trying to appease the left and right simultaneously. Scott at mydd covers all the details, but his latest position (as of Oct 29, 11:00 AM) seems to be that he supports embryonic stem cell research, but not public funding for it. From his spokeswoman:
"he doesn't believe the state should be borrowing money for this."
But stem cell research is the type of work that requires a significant investment in order to be successful. By failing to publicly fund it, he's essentially standing in the way of progress.
Contrast Forrester's position to the vision and hope of JFK:
To be sure, we are behind, and will be behind for some time in manned flight. But we do not intend to stay behind, and in this decade, we shall make up and move ahead.
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[A]ll this costs us all a good deal of money...Space expenditures will soon rise some more, from 40 cents per person per week to more than 50 cents a week for every man, woman and child in the United Stated, for we have given this program a high national priority--even though I realize that this is in some measure an act of faith and vision, for we do not now know what benefits await us.
But if I were to say, my fellow citizens, that we shall send to the moon, 240,000 miles away from the control station in Houston, a giant rocket more than 300 feet tall, the length of this football field, made of new metal alloys, some of which have not yet been invented, capable of standing heat and stresses several times more than have ever been experienced, fitted together with a precision better than the finest watch, carrying all the equipment needed for propulsion, guidance, control, communications, food and survival, on an untried mission, to an unknown celestial body, and then return it safely to earth, re-entering the atmosphere at speeds of over 25,000 miles per hour, causing heat about half that of the temperature of the sun--almost as hot as it is here today--and do all this, and do it right, and do it first before this decade is out--then we must be bold.
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However, I think we're going to do it, and I think that we must pay what needs to be paid
What would the world be like if JFK had instead said: "I support going to the moon, but not public financing for it. We just can't afford it."?
Who knows. There's a chance we might still not have reached the moon. Not to mention all the benefits that the research required for space exploration yielded.
The investment in space exploration was a risk, but the rewards were priceless: pacemakers, artificial heart implants, 3-D ultrasounds, CAT scans, cell phone technology, rechargable batteries, weather forecasting, infrared cameras, cleaner air and water and much, much more. These benefits weren't a promise - they resulted from a vision of a better future, and one that was admittedly a risk.
Imagine a future where no child struggles with juvenile diabetes…
…or where heart tissue will regenerate and heart attacks will no longer be the leading cause of death…
…or where my mom, your mom, and mothers around the globe will no longer suffer the debilitation of dementia or Alzheimer’s.
Today we stand united in our determination to see the promise of embryonic stem cell research become a reality…to prevent, to treat, and to cure the incurable.
With your help in the next four years, we will put New Jersey – the medicine chest for the nation and the world – at the leading edge of the most promising medical advances of our generation.
As Americans, we recognize the power of medical science to push the limits of what is possible. We are the country that eradicated polio and relegated smallpox to a Petrie dish. New Jersey was at the leading edge then, and it should be now. Americans invented the antibiotics that keep infections at bay and the operations that let us live longer, more productive lives.
We cannot let other afflictions continue to confound medical science and cause pain and anguish for so many human beings.
Until we are satisfied that no breakthrough is left undiscovered and no person suffers in vain – we must continue to invest in scientific exploration and transcend the outer bounds of our medical knowledge and experience.
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When we know we can improve the state of the human condition through advances in medicine, we have no moral right to stand aside.
Embryonic stem cell research holds the promise of overcoming the most debilitating degenerative conditions. Parkinson’s. Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Multiple Sclerosis. Alzheimer’s And many others. It could help us take on AIDS, combat heart disease, and fight cancer.
As with all medical research, the ultimate success or failure of each effort cannot be predicted with certainty at the start. We are only beginning to explore the curative powers of embryonic stem cells.
Recall once again Doug Forrester's position:
"he doesn't believe the state should be borrowing money for this."
Doug Forrester doesn't have the vision to take a bold stance on an opportunity to discover life-saving cures. In his awkward attempt to somehow appease the extremists within his party who ironically claim the mantel of supporting life, he is killing the hope of a better life for millions of Americans.
