I could not believe my ears what I heard recently on TV from a major news channel last Thursday, April 14th.
Barack Obama was caught making an offline statement that the White House is 30 years behind in its computer technology and that he was disappointed. Obama complained of having consistent computer problems and was troubled about it. He could not understand this since he was President.
We all know that the White House is not behind times. Rather, could it be more than likely that Obama is purposely being disconnected from technology and from information?
One of Obama’s major failings when he took office was that he did not clean house. Consequently, there remains many bad players still working in all his federal agencies and even perhaps in his white house staff.
If Obama wants to be reconnected….perhaps he should do a little house cleaning!
“They’re throwing the kitchen sink at us,” said Randi Weingarten, president of the American Federation of Teachers. “We’re seeing people use the budget crisis to make every attempt to roll back workers’ voices and any ability of workers to join collectively in any way whatsoever.”
"Faced with growing budget deficits and restive taxpayers, elected officials from Maine to Alabama, Ohio to Arizona, are pushing new legislation to limit the power of labor unions, particularly those representing government workers, in collective bargaining and politics."
Bioethics is a study of the philosophical and ethical controversies surrounding advances in biology and medicine. Embryonic stem cell research is a bioethical issue because it requires the use and destruction of human embryos. Some people feel that this is not right, not ethical. Some even feel it is not moral, that is, against their religious beliefs. Many people are ambivalent and have contradictory attitudes about if this is right or wrong. Others believe nothing is unethical or immoral about human embryonic stem cell research.
Bioethical issues often become political issues. Watch this video. See if you are able to understand the bioethical and political issues that are involved in embryonic stem cell research and which are specifically discussed in this video. See the questions below to guide your understanding.
What are the backgrounds of the two scientists? Why do they have the interest and expertise to talk about embryonic stem cells?
What is a bond issue? Why would a bond issue be important to you and your family? Why is this particular bond issue important for the scientist, Dr. Cohen?
Did the citizens of New Jersey vote in favor of the bond or against it?
How much money in the bond issue was turned down by the voters?
What are the two reasons given of why the voters in New Jersey turned down a bond issue to fund embryonic stem cell research in their State?
Did the scientist, Dr. Cohen ever give a clear answer to the question, "is it possible to see mass production of cures through embryonic stem cells in our life time?
What is hype? Why would someone want to use hype in the media?
What did the scientists/bioethicist Fr. Pacholczyk talk about when he said it was important to distinguish the "hype from the concrete truth when we discuss complex issues? What specific type of hype does the scientist/bioethicists Fr. Pacholczyk refer to? What example does he give about the unrealistic way the embryonic stem cell community has painted a picture about fear?
Were these issues of a political nature or of a bioethical nature?
Think about these issues and comment if you cannot answer any of these questions.
