S640 Blog Posting #2

Maywin Jackson/Blog Posting #2
Current Stem Cell News
First, I want to make sure everyone knows I am not using this article as a platform for my beliefs about stem cell research. This topic has been chosen to illustrate an example of how censorship takes many forms.

In anticipation that President Obama will relax stem cell legislation, “the Food and Drug Administration” cleared Geron (privately funded) Corporation's application to conduct early-stage clinical trials on its stem-cell based therapy, aimed at treating severe spinal cord injuries.” ( MSN). And, related stocks are rising based on the possibility of such legislative changes.
In regards to this particular legislation, we can find past examples of IF abuse (or science censorship), enacted by President G.W. Bush. The controversial issue of Human embryonic stem cell research (hESC) was acted upon by President Bush in the early part of his first term.
This president took (illegal) actions to quickly rule that the U.S. government determined stem cell research as neither moral nor ethically legal. These illegal legislative actions were:

1. His policy decision to disallow funding of (hESC) research was not vetted through the Administrative Procedure Act’s regulation- creation process.
2. His decision was not embodied in an executive order.
3. Congress never voted on the decision.

My reaction to Bush’s stifling and mishandling of the funded stem cell research is varied; however, I am adamant in that I believe no government official should be allowed to ignore due process or practice censorship in any way.