LETTER: Government research necessary

Dear Editor,

In response to some comments which appeared in a previous edition of The Statesman, I would like to address the issue of government funding of basic research.

First, people should understand that funding of basic research is an investment. It is an investment by the American people for America’s future. Basic research is the most lucrative investment option for government.

Today’s world economy is extremely competitive. Other nations are investing in basic research and new and exciting discoveries are being made all the time. If America doesn’t keep up by investing in research, we will fall behind. Other nations will surpass us and we will be left in economic ruin.

It’s true, billionaires have the means to fund research, and they do fund it because they know it will bring huge returns. But when research is funded privately, the benefits largely stay within the company or individual who funded it. They have legal rights to the intellectual property.

When government funds research, the benefits are felt by the entire economy and hence, by all of us. I am not arguing for or against stem-cell research. That is a very difficult and delicate moral, ethical and religious (as well as scientific) issue. What I am arguing for is government funding for basic research. Unfortunately, the current administration has scaled back funding of research and I fear our economy will feel the impact of it in years to come.

Jamie B. Jorgensen