Stem Cell Research: GOOD or Bad?

About a year ago,  Wisconsin governor Tommy Thompson praised
UW biology researcher Jamie Thompson (no relation) for his
advances in human stem cell research. Tommy cited the potential
medical gains from such cutting edge research being done at
the University of Wisconsin.

Wisconsin Right to Life  protested that the stem cells being
studied by the UW scientists were BAD stem cells because
they were obtained from aborted fetuses.  But (in a letter
to our local newspaper) the head of the organization indicated
that there is also GOOD human stem cell research, namely that
done on stem cells obtained from "other sources".

My question: since a human stem cell (however obtained) is
a single human cell with a complete set of chromosomes, just
as a fertilized human egg is, then can there be GOOD and
BAD research done on it?  If a fertilized human egg is a
"person", then why is a stem cell not?  Is all "experimenting"
with human stem cells experiments on humans without their
consent, and thus EVIL?

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jim blair (jeblair@facstaff.wisc.edu) Madison Wisconsin
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