On June 20, 2007, President George W. Bush signed into law an executive order that allowed for research on the isolation, derivation, production and testing of stem cells that were not derived by creating a human embryo for research purposes and then destroying, discarding, or subjecting to harm said human embryo or fetus. This order allowed for the research of adult stem cells, while, at the same time, reaffirmed his stance against the use of embryonic stem cells in medical research. He claimed that it is critical to establish moral and ethical boundaries when going forward as a nation. He claims that it is important to maintain the highest ethical standards with respect to human life and dignity, meaning that the destruction of life for research violates the principle that no life should be used as means for medically benefiting another.

                On March 9, 2009, President Barack Obama overturned the executive order, giving the medical field full power to research with embryonic stem cells. This could, quite possibly, be the most controversial decision of the Obama administration. A solid line splits those that support and those that do not support embryonic stem cell research; pro-life and pro-choice has divided American politics for as long as abortion has been a viable option for expectant mothers. The debate will become more heated now than ever before. Both sides throw opinions across the aisle, while researchers secure the necessary funding and continue full speed ahead.

Embryonic stem cells are stem cells derived from the inner cell mass, known as a blastocyst, of an early stage embryo. Human embryos reach the blastocyst stage 4–5 days after fertilization, by which time they consist of 50–150 cells. The reason that science is so interested in embryonic stem cells is simple. The early stage cells are able to morph into all derivatives of any of the three germ layers, the ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. Simply put, this means that embryonic stem cells have the potential to turn into any cell in the human body. If a person’s heart is riddled with cancer or disease, scientists could, in theory, use a mass of stem cells to grow this person a new heart. If research were ever able to get to that point, embryonic stem cells could be the gateway toward humans living for decades, if not centuries, longer than modern medicine allows.

                Stem cell research has been embroiled in controversy since its conception. Harvesting the human blastocyst means destroying the developing embryo shortly after conception. For even the most liberal of the conservatives, this is akin to murder, and, as such, cannot be permitted. Of course, there is no doubt that harvesting the cells is destroying the embryo. However, is it murder? The current debate for abortion is whether the embryo is considered a “human person”, which is different from a “human being”. A human being is considered a human person when it meets all of the following criteria: consciousness, the capacity to feel pain, the ability to reason and self-awareness (The fetus is aware that it is alive.) In the landmark case Roe v Wade, the supreme court ruled that abortion is permitted until the point that the fetus is considered “viable”, which is usually viewed as 28 weeks (7 months), although in some cases 24 weeks (6 months) or even 21 weeks (5 ½ months) have seen the fetus survive outside the womb. Considering embryos in the blastocyst stage, the simple answer is no, it is not considered a human person. At five days, the embryo is incapable of feeling pain, expressing emotion or having conscious thought. Thus, it cannot be considered murder any more than smoking a cigarette can be considered the murder of brain cells.

Now, as the United States takes the first step toward guaranteeing that the future of the human race is brighter and healthier than ever before, one man leads the way. President Barack Obama is demonstrating his willingness to bring the United States to the forefront of medical technology, ensuring that the citizens of the United States have every opportunity to be exposed to the innovative medicine to which they have become accustomed.