Last week while everyone was swaying to the beat of ‘My President Is Black’ and most folks were under the inaugural glow the Food and Drug Administration gave the greenlight to federally funding projects for stem cell research. This has been a controversial issue for the previous administration since stem cells are derived from human embryos. The embryos have to be destroyed in order for the cells to be extracted.
The promise that this research has been foretelling will be a futuristic leap in the healing and repair of degenerative human organs like the kidneys, liver, lungs and even the heart. Scientists believe that stem cells can repair the nerve damage and paralysis suffered by people with spinal cord injuries. What many adversaries of this technology fear is the creation of a system for human cloning. I don’t see how we can’t pursue cloning in our effort to eventually put our middle fingers up to GOD.
Science fiction has taught me many things and one thing consistently, that is the human condition in its worst state is one part hubris and the other part insanity. There is no way under heaven that this technology will not be used for bad shit. We just aren’t capable as a species of not effing something the eff up. My only hope, my only prayer, is that another one of GOD’s innumerable beautiful creations comes to this planet soon to devour us all like the shrimp feast at Red Lobster.
