The Great Debate (London, UK 7/24/11)

[Both wings] "A Gallup snapshot poll taken immediately after President Bush's speech on funding embryonic stem cell research last night shows that half of Americans approve of his decision, 25% do not, and still another 25% aren't sure what to think." [Left wing] "Most people don't even know what stem cells are." [Both wings] "Who's going to scream the loudest? Will it be the right-to-lifer's, will it be the scientists? And now what's going to happen is that there will be a tremendous amount of lobbying in Washington D.C: scientists, entertainers, people who want to see this research will be coming forth." [Right wing] "I'm concerned about it, Christopher Reeve is concerned about it, everyone is concerned about it, but the big question is: do the ends justify the means? And when we talk about research, yes, we can cure a lot of things speculatively, but where's the proof?" [Left wing] "These developing human beings that they're talking about, these embryos, were produced in an artificial scientific environment. In vitro fertilization is not God's will." [Right wing] "That doesn't make them any less human, though, after that happens." [Both wings] "We're on a road where we really don't know where we're going as far as what's next. We're talking about harvesting embryos, we're talking about this, we're talking about that, but what is the cost?" [Left wing] "How could we possibly abandon the research?" [Left wing] "Well that's right, it's the old question. I mean, if you think the research is good, of course you'd have no problem at all with it. It's only if you think the research involved is something evil, then you get the question of ‘Is it okay to…?’ and the truth of the matter is that we do that all the time with organ transplants, I mean with people that are killed or murdered or people who're just victims of automobile accidents, abandoning all hope. We do take their organs and we look to try to save other lives. We try to [do that?] all the time. [Right wing] "And in this country there was a great outrage […] from all points, from churches, mainline [???]... that you can not use developing humans to cure… [???]...at that point in time they turn into humans." [Left wing] "And I'd like to mention that we don't have the answers yet. We need to put the money into something that'll hopefully get those answers in the future. Listen, we're out of time." What if someone said promise lies ahead? Hopes are high in certain scientific circles Life won't have to end You could walk again What if someone said problems lie ahead? They've uncovered something highly controversial The right to life is strong Can't you see it's wrong? Humankind has reached a turning point Poised for conflict at ground zero, ready for a war Do we look to our unearthly guide, or to white coat heroes searching for a cure? Turn to the light Don't be frightened of the shadows it creates Turn to the light Turning away would be a terrible mistake Anarchistic moral vision Industries of death Facing violent opposition Unmolested breath Ethic inquisitions breed antagonistic views Right wing sound bite premonitions in a labyrinth of rules Are you justified? (x3) Justified in taking life to save life? Life to save life Taking life to save life This embryonic clay wrapped in fierce debate would be thrown away or otherwise discarded Some of us believe it may hold the key to treatment of disease and secrets highly guarded Are you justified? (x3) Justified in taking life to save life? Life to save life Taking life to save life Humankind has reached a turning point Poised for conflict at ground zero, ready for a war Do we look to our unearthly guide, or to white coat heroes searching for a cure? Turn to the light Don't be frightened of the shadows it creates Turn to the light Turning away would be a terrible mistake We're reaching, but have we gone too far? Harvesting existence only to destroy Carelessly together we are sliding Someone else's future four days frozen still Someone else's fate we are deciding Miracle potential! Sanctity of life! Faced against each other, we're divided Should we push the boundaries. or should we condemn? Moral guilt and science have collided Turn to the light We defy our own mortality these days Turn to the light Pay attention to the questions we have raised [Left wing] "...research, scientific advancement. And I know we're going down a road that we may not know where we end, But we - that's exactly what science is all about. I’m very sorry, but I…you know, I do feel sympathy for people who…whose spines are...have, uh, have been severed. There’s a possibility we might be able to cure them. I am concerned about a cure for juvenile diabetes. And if these types of scientific advancements can cure these diseases, then quite candidly, I think there ought to be at least what President Bush has said, some limited research." [Right wing] "One of the…one of the big questions that still remains for me, though, is that all of these embryos that are…are set or, uh, being discarded, for example, um…is this worse than just throwing those away?" [Right wing] "We don't know if they're going to be discarded. All of a sudden, I mean, we're going to say, uh, we started with the ones that are going to be discarded. Then all of a sudden, we're going to have people being solicited to donate parts of their…their anatomy, to harvest parts of, what, their heart or what have you. I mean, that's how's it starts." [Right wing] "Even though if they start soliciting, women and men in fertility clinics have extra embryos." [Right wing] "Stem cells come from developing human beings and that they shouldn't be, uh, experimented on in a way that doesn't make sense or that is unethical, but at the same time, there is great promise." [Left wing] "I have a 28-year-old son, her grandson, that…that, uh, is, uh, paraplegic. And if there is any...a small chance that my son would be able to have any feeling and be able to walk, I am for it." [Right wing] "The human body has been evolving for tens of thousands of years and we're just injecting cells from embryos into people's brains, and...and how do we come to…to do something like that?"