With the stroke of his veto pen, President Bush took a stand for
the integrity of the human person while providing the American
people with a fine lesson in the fundamental truth that science
serves humanity, not vice versa.
In a press conference
at the White House, and joined by 18 families whose children were
originally frozen embryos not used by other couples, the President
vetoed legislation that would overturn his previous policy allowing
federal funding of research only on human embryonic stem
cell lines derived from embryos that had been destroyed prior to
the announcement of that policy. At that time, five years ago, the
Bush Administration made available over $90 million for research on
these lines, the first administration ever to make federal funds
available for this purpose.
Recognizing the challenge of promoting science to alleviate
human suffering, "without sanctioning the practices that violate
the dignity of human life," President Bush insisted that the bill
"would support the taking of innocent human life in the hope of
finding medical benefits for others."
"It crosses a moral boundary that our decent society needs to
respect, so I vetoed it, " said the President.
The President was explicit in grounding his decision on the
fundamental integrity of all human persons: "Each of these human
embryos is a unique human life with inherent dignity and matchless
value." He noted that each of the children attending the press
conference was adopted while still an embryo, "and has been blessed
with the chance to grow up in a loving family."
"These boys and girls are not spare parts," said President Bush.
"They remind us of that [which] is lost when embryos are destroyed
in the name of research. They remind us that we all begin our lives
as a small collection of cells. And they remind us that in our zeal
for new treatments and cures, America must never abandon our
fundamental morals."
As Congressman Henry Hyde (R-IL) once said, unborn children are
not potential human life, but life with
potential.
The President noted that if the bill he vetoed would have become
law, "American taxpayers would, for the first time in our history,
be compelled to fund the destruction of human embryos. And I'm not
going to allow it...I will not allow our nation to cross this moral
line."
President Bush also described the temptations that modern
science presents as it continues to unlock "the secrets of human
biology." That is, "it also offers the temptations to manipulate
human life and violate human dignity. Our conscience and history as
a nation demand we resist this temptation."
Citing the Declaration of Independence and its recognition of
the equality of all Americans, predicated on the inalienable right
to life, he made it clear that "We can advance the cause of science
while upholding this founding promise...without becoming slaves to
technology."
"And we can ensure that science serves the cause of humanity
instead of the other way around," said the President.
The President clearly views human beings as ends in themselves,
not means to other ends, or other people's ends, no matter how
laudable. He also recognizes that the fundamental truth is that a
human being is a human being, even at the earliest stages of
development. The complete genetic and physical package is
distinctly human from the get-go. Society must recognize its
obligations to protect, nurture, and sustain this life which is
human in reality, not just in name, even at these early stages.
In demonstrating his willingness to draw a moral line in the
sand, President Bush courageously challenged the corrupting
nihilism and moral relativism that has engulfed so much of Western
society both in Europe and North America. His rhetoric seized the
high ground, expressing principled thinking on morality and its
role in the public square. In this sense, his clarity is bracing,
indeed.
The President was also pleased to make a preemptive strike on
the Brave New World by signing the Fetus Farming Prohibition Act
sponsored by Senators Santorum and Brownback, which passed with
strong support in Congress. Most Americans cannot imagine the
prospect of trafficking in human fetuses that are created with the
intent of aborting them in order to harvest their parts. Neither
can the President.
"Human beings are not a raw material to be exploited, or a
commodity to be bought or sold, and this bill will help ensure that
we respect the fundamental ethical line," said the President.
Prospects are good that the President's veto will be sustained.
Nevertheless, the President's eloquent articulation of the
fundamental philosophic and ethical principles involved in the
matter of embryonic stem cell research is a tremendous contribution
to the public dialogue regarding the best way to re-establish and
maintain a culture of life in the land of the free and the home of
the brave.
topics:
Law, NATO
