Essay on It’s Time to Legalize Embryonic Stem Cell Research

It’s Time to Legalize Embryonic Stem Cell Research In the United States of America, people have many rights and freedoms that are respected by the Federal Government. As stated in Civil Disobedience by Henry David Thoreau: â€Å"There will never be a truly free and enlightened state until the state comes to recognize the individual as a higher and independent power† (225). In the goal to make America a truly free and enlightened state, laws have been enacted to preserve individual rights. With the furthering of medical science, the issue of individual rights vs. government regulation has been raised many times, and the right of the individual has always been held in the highest regard. This is why our government should both legalize and†¦show more content†¦If the majority of the public were to decide what each individual should do in every aspect of their life, our democratic system would be nullified. Our laws are written to recognize individuals’ capability to make their own decisions. We have the right to d onate our organs, and that it is our choice. We have the right to donate our entire bodies to science postmortem, and that is our choice. Couples have the right to donate their eggs and sperm for in-vitro fertilization of another couple, and that is their choice. Women have the right to decide whether they want to conceive a child or terminate a pregnancy, and that is their choice. In each instance individuals are given the power to choose, they are not denied the opportunity, or forced into doing something they do not want to. The government does not deny your right to be an organ donor, or tell you that you have to conceive a child when another couple cannot, because we would then be practicing Totalitarianism instead of Democracy. These examples, although extreme, directly relate to the subject of stem cell research because of what it entails and how the procedure is done. Stem cells are cells that are not specialized, and can become many different kinds of human tissue. There are two types of stem cells: Adult stem cells, which cannot form all tissues of the body, are found inShow MoreRelatedHsm 542 Week 12 Discussion Essay45410 Words   |  182 PagesObjectives (TCOs): A | Given a situation related to reproductive genetics, genetic research, or the human genome project, develop a set of legal and ethical guidelines, which can be applied to genetic issues for the conduct of medical practice and/or research. | B | Given the contentious debate surrounding issues of procreation, develop an institutional policy, which can be applied to the range of treatment and research issues related to procreation. | C | Given the mandate for advance directives