Letter: Money for war, but not research

Friday, June 3, 2005 | 4:49 a.m.

June 4-5, 2005

On May 31 you printed an Associated Press article in which President Bush expresses his thoughts about research into stem cells. He was quoted as saying "... the issue before us ... is whether or not to use taxpayers' money to destroy life. I don't believe we should."

How does this statement square with the more than $171 billion of taxpayers' money that has been spent on an unnecessary and preemptive war in Iraq that has claimed the lives of not only more than 1,650 fully formed and functioning American adults, but also 100,000 Iraqis, mostly women and children.

Destroying a few cells that are never going to be fully functioning people seems awfully benign compared to starting a war that has killed thousands. I would rather the money I paid in taxes went for cures for living people rather than to kill people.

ELIZABETH POWELL

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