Mail Call.

The Politics of the Cellular Divide

Many readers weighed in on our July 16 story about the U.S. controversy over stem-cell research. Some were deeply troubled by the use of fetal cells for science while the majority supported federal funding. One reader insisted Roman Catholics must follow the teachings of the pope and noted, "It isn't always easy or popular to do the right thing." But another argued, "Which is better, to discard these precious gifts from God, or to use them for the betterment of mankind?"

The Stem Cell Wars

As a pro-life woman with Parkinson's disease, I read with interest your article on stem-cell research ("Cellular Divide," U.S. AFFAIRS, July 16). I was a bit dismayed by your implication that anyone with this disease would automatically be in favor of stem-cell treatment. I am grappling with a number of questions about this issue. For instance, what will happen if we run out of fertilized eggs to harvest for stem cells? Do we create more? What about looking more closely into using the placenta? I firmly believe that we must never use embryos and fetuses that are viable. In fact, I am not sure about the whole process, and it sounds as if the scientists aren't, either. I have participated in, and am currently involved in, new drug research, although I am aware of the risks. Parkinson's is a very scary disease to face each day, but living with it has only renewed my commitment to all forms of life.

Linda J. Dubay

Columbus, Michigan

NEWSWEEK should be complimented on its balanced and comprehensive account of the stem-cell debate. In other areas of medicine, federal funding provides incentives to focus on the research that holds the most promise for the public as a whole and professional oversight that distinguishes between acceptable and unacceptable research methods. If the federal government responds to controversy over genetics research by departing the field, future research will develop in one of two ways. First, private companies will conduct the experiments on their own, free from any effective oversight. The greatest funding will go to the developers with the prospect of the largest immediate financial payoff. Second, the single-interest groups driving the current stem- cell debate may try to ban the private research outright. If the bans survive constitutional scrutiny, they will drive genetics research overseas. Either way, the American public, which overwhelmingly supports responsible genetics research, will be the loser.