Seeing the Inevitability of Stem Cell Research

Re “White House Criticizes State Stem Cell Law,” Sept. 24: Despite all, it will happen. If not in the U.S., then in some other country. Mankind has never been able to keep from pursuing this type of golden bauble of hope. I object to the religious arguments that are used against this research because they have always proved to be wrong in the past. Ethical arguments are fine, but they can also be used to set protocol and not limits.

However, if you are going to do this research with a limited pool of stem cells to work from, you are not controlling the potential for an undesirable outcome to occur as a result of the research. You are only slowing it down, maybe. So the present approach to this matter is not a viable solution to the fears of many who foresee terrible and unwanted results in the long run because of this research. We have actually prevented nothing from occurring--we have just slowed it down. There is no simple answer.

George H. Booth

La Quinta