Editorial #4

This week I chose the Washington Post editorial “Science Over All?” Author Yuval Levin questions President Barack Obama’s stand on stem cell research. The President recently announced his policy on federal funding of stem cell research, but failed to address the ethical issues behind it. Instead, Obama concentrated on the scientific side of things. Obama’s stand was based on the promise of science and he said his administration would “make scientific decisions based on facts, not ideology.” Obama signed an executive order that promised ethical guidelines, but would leave it to the National Institutes of Health to actually define what the guidelines will be. Levin criticizes Obama’s decision on scientific policy being left to scientists by saying that it is a combination of science and politics. He claims it is the government’s (and Obama’s) responsibility to consider the countries morals and ethics before making any policy. If a government fails to do this, Levin claims “an increasing proportion of public concerns [are being] kept beyond the reach of democracy.” He concludes by saying that science policy does require the help of scientists to clarify complex details of the subject material, but the policy should be based on priorities and worldviews. Science policy should be just like any other governmental decision, and it should stay in the government.
Levin is right is some ways because the countries moral and ethical opinions should be represented in the making of scientific decisions on policy. However, I believe Obama addressed this a little more than Levin gives him credit for. What I believe Obama was really saying is that he believes that using embryos for scientific research is ethical. He did not have to specifically state that in his executive order because it was implied. That may not be the view of the general public, but as President, he has the power to rule that the scientific benefits outweigh the importance of public opinion.