Bill Frist: Sellout

According to the Drudge Report, Senator Bill Frist will announce in the morning his support for expanded funding for embryonic stem-cell research. Frist's change in position shows that either he is blindly ambitious and will say anything that he thinks is politically advantageous or he has a fundamental misunderstanding of the value of life. Either way, his position is not acceptable. This unfortunately fits into a pattern of the leftward shift of the Republican Party.

Over two millennia ago, Aristotle wrote about the importance of first principles. It is from these principles that all things flow and to which all things point. Chief among these principles must be a respect for life. M. Stanton Evans, whose book is advertised on this site, frequently gives a talk called "Why Liberals are Wrong About Everything". The case that he makes quite convincingly is that liberals are wrong about (almost) every issue because they start from the wrong place. Rather than focus on the root of any problem, liberals instead seek to treat the symptoms. For this reason, the problems just become worse and create even more symptoms, hence the out-of-control growth of the federal government.

While many will make the case that embryonic stem-cell research will only lead to a further demeaning of human life - rightly so - it is important too to address this problem itself. Embryonic stem-cell research comes down to this: persons cannot be used as objects. Respect for life must mean respect for life at every stage. It is never permissible to destroy human life for utilitarian purposes. If one accepts the scientific fact that life begins at conception, then this is the moral equivalent of killing ten year olds for scientific research.

So what's wrong with that? Science is supposed to serve man, not the other way around. Much could be learned if scientists decided to dissect you right now. In fact, the Germans learned plenty with their experimentation on Jews, but that does not justify it. Science is extremely important, and the goals of many of those promoting stem-cell research are noble. Indeed, finding cures for debilitating, perhaps fatal, diseases is extremely important. Having seen relatives who could potentially have benefited from the research that they seek to perform died before my eyes, I understand quite well how important research is. Unfortunately, though, promoters of embryonic stem-cell research have lost sight of the forest for the trees. The reason that research is important is that life must be valued above all else. Once research dehumanizes other persons, though, it ceases to live true to its own goal. The very lives of those whom they seek to treat are demeaned by the lack of respect shown for other life.

Some have argued that there is no difference between the two parties. To some extent, I concur. Even so, I maintain some hope that the Republican Party can continue to be a vehicle to pursue a conservative agenda. If, however, the Party loses sight of its most basic principles, it will destroy itself. There will be no difference. There will be no Republican Majority, in name or in fact.

This will likely be the only time I reference a frog on this website, but Alexis de Tocqueville once wrote, "America is great because America is good. If America ever ceases to be good, America will cease to be great." Unfortunately, America is moving toward the day when we will no longer be good. Half of marriages end in divorce. A third of pregnancies end in abortion. "Heather has Two Mommies" is permitted in schools while the Ten Commandments are not. To be sure, there are still plenty of good people, but this is a dangerous step toward destroying what is left of a respect for life in American culture.

Here's hoping that the President keeps his promise to veto the legislation and does not allow our nation to take this perilous step.