Forgive but don't Forget

This past weekend, I've learned a great deal about myself as an individual and about others around me on a religious retreat through the Faith Hope Church. I learned first hand some of the most amazing stories about people that I used to just pass in the hallways at school. Many people on this retreat held back and didn't know how to openly talk to strangers about struggles from their past, or anything that's going on in their every day life. For everyone this wasn't an easy thing to do. Most importantly, this outstanding experience showed my I'm not alone in any aspect of my life. It showed me that the people you would least expect to have every day struggles, really do. No one's perfect and the image of perfection can be easily seen through. I've never in my life looked at a person this way until now. One of the most valuable lessons I've learned is to forgive. "Forgive but don't Forget" is the new outlook I've had for the past 4 days. Right now, I don't know how to look at an situation differently. The friendships that I've created this weekend will stay with me forever and are unforgettable. I hope my new outlook on life stays with my forever, because it has changed me as a person for the better.

Going Against Morals

Many people for moral reasons or due to religious beliefs don't believe in stem cell research. Looking beyond individuals with their personal morals, John Wagner, a clinical researcher at the University of Minnesota stated, "every discovery with [embryonic stem] cells has furthered our work with stem cells from umbilical cord blood or adult tissues." Going against this science research will stop (for example) cancer patients from getting better faster and having an easier/more effective solution to their illness. John Medelsohn, the head of the M.D. Anderson Cancer Center in Texas said that federal funding might have the unintended consequence of creating financial incentives that would encourage the creation of frozen embryos in order to destroy them. The controversy of having people "kill" a living embryo is the equivalent to killing a human being. After hours and hours of research, George W. Bush stated, "we're tinkering with the boundaries of life here". Personally, I don't think and embryo and a living, breathing human being are incomparable with which is more valuable. I understand that it's a hard decision to say which is more important than the other, but I believe that saving a life that has the potential to get better if stem cell is performed is more important. "They are not a person. They are not alive," insisted Doug Melton. An embryo hasn't experienced life and if it never does if it should be used to an equally important cause, saving a life. George W. Bush has also said, "This is too important an issue to take polls about. I am going to decide this based on what I believe is right."