Mugsy weighs in on stem cell research

As a leading social conservative and firebrand religious leader, I would like to commend President Bush for his veto of expanded funding for embryonic stem cell research. In a perfectly choreographed press conference Wednesday -- complete with crying babies to punctuate his every sentence about embryos -- Bush explained his compassionate conservative reasoning thusly: "In our zeal for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our fundamental morals." Here, here, Mr. President. We must never forget that all life is precious. And although it would be nice if science could prevent my father from succumbing to the diabetes that took his grandfather's life last year or the Alzheimer's disease that now torments his grandmother, we must always remember just how precious life is. Besides, science is in many ways the enemy of theocracy. Though many scientists believe that embryonic stem cell research holds the key to curing dozens of diseases and improving untold millions of lives, we must balance that knowledge against our compassion for the embryos. And rather than use the cells from these embryos to further the dubious interests of science, we must respect their rights as citizens. We must ensure that these frozen embryos continue to be tossed into trash bins -- with dignity.