Columnist Ruthe Deskin: President’s decision is principled

Ruthe Deskin

Thursday, Aug. 16, 2001 | 8:25 a.m.

Ruthe Deskin is assistant to the publisher. Reach her at deskin@ lasvegassun.com.

In a no-win situation, President Bush didn't score a perfect 10 but he performed with dignity and courage.

It couldn't have been easy for the president to make the crucial decision on allowing government funding for research on stem cells already extracted from human embryos. At the same time he placed restrictions on the research funding by limiting embryonic stem cell studies to existing sets, of which he claimed there were 60. Some scientists doubt that number is accurate.

The outcry was immediate. Scientists declaring he didn't go far enough. Others were grateful the president had opened the door. Some religious leaders were adamantly against the president's decision. Others greeted it with guarded optimism. Patients suffering from a variety of diseases where the possibility that cures could be found were hopeful. The general public is divided along religious lines, the desire to find cures for disease and fear of where the research could be taking us.

The president deliberated conscientiously and sought advice from scientists, doctors, patients, ethnicists and politicians.

Pundits will continue to dissect his decision and scientists, no doubt, will continue to seek more leverage in research funding.

The die has been cast and the best that we can do is reiterate the president's prayer that he made the right decision.

It's difficult to place any credence in the word of a such a no-goodnik as FBI informant Franklyn Perry, but his statements regarding kidnaping suspect Jerald Burgess bring back memories.

Burgess was accused and acquitted of charges relating to the kidnaping of 6-year old Cary Sayegh in 1978.

Sun reporters and the Sun's publisher, Hank Greenspun, were deeply involved in the investigation, as Cary's father, Sol Sayegh, turned to us for help in locating the child and/or his kidnapper.

Who could forget the anguish as each day passed and Cary was not found? Burgess was questioned many times, but held fast to his claim of innocence.

Personally, I believe he knows something about the kidnapping, but will never tell.

This is one crime local police would love to crack. Does Jerald Burgess hold the key?

Congratulations to a lovely and very determined young Las Vegan, Tasha Schwikert, who won her first national title at the U.S. Gymnastics Championships last week.

What a thrill it was to watch her as she sailed through the difficult routines on her way to the championship.

Schweikert, a former Olympian, is looking forward to the world championships Oct. 28-Nov. 4 in Ghent, Belgium.

Is the honeymoon over for UNLV president Dr. Carol Harter? The Board of Regents is meeting to consider her raise, at the same time disenchanted financial donors are claiming she has alienated UNLV benefactors.

Results of the meetings today and Friday will be forthcoming unless things get a bit sticky and decisions are delayed.

Octogenarian Sydney Harris claims everybody wants to live long but nobody wants to be old.