Matters of Life and Death (semi-vanity)

LifeEthics.org ^ | August 20, 2005 | Beverly Nuckols,MD

[hocndoc]

Sunday, August 21, 2005
"Matters of Life and Death"

The Guardian Observer has it right in the title of this op-ed by Mary Riddell. But, then it falls all apart. Sort of like the ethics that is now "bioethics:" justification for whatever action is desired at the moment.

Ms. Riddell says that we shouldn't worry about the babies of the future, but rather for the babies we are and are not having today. I can't imagine that any adult cannot see that the babies of today will be the parents of tomorrow and that the ways we manipulate today's babies will most definitely affect tomorrow's.Neither set is "imaginary." And neither are the concerns which she parodies and warps in order to belittle them.

Yes, we should be concerned that the UK regulatory agency, The Human Fertilization and Embryology Authority, is loosening the criteria for Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis. It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate from the ecological disasters due to decreased plant and animal diversity to the possible future problems of a species as complex as humans if we begin deleting entire populations based on diseases and syndromes. Just because we have new technology to measure for genetic defect does not mean that we have observed, much less measured, the actual mechanisms of any of those diseases.

However, the biggest problem of imagination and extrapolation of data that Ms. Riddell has is the ability to connect the embryos she so easily names as less than human and fodder for medical experimentation and use as spares for the people that she personally feels deserve to benefit from the death of others.

She ridicules the idea that UK citizens will practice gender selecton, or family balancing as she calls it. While noting that several Asian nations have abused the practice. And she propagates the notion that "therapeutic" cloning is distinct from "reproductive" cloning in any way other than that of the intentions of the cloners.

There's no therapy in destroying the younger, embryonic brothers and sisters of the very people she finds so worthy.

[hocndoc]

I've said it before: the very definition of "equal rights" is that they are ,uh, "equal."

There's absolutely no doubt that the embryos resulting from in vitro fertilization and cloning are human. Ms. Riddell mentions the first baby born of IVF. We just had yet another reminder in "Snuppy," the dog that veterinarian, Dr. Hwang cloned in South Korea.

Orwell would be proud: even in our day - or more in our day than in his - Some of us are more equal than others. But, in Animal Farm, the line is actually, "Some animals are more equal than others."

[hocndoc]

Good Sunday morning ping!

The UK may seem far away, but the eugenics movement is gaining power and people like this woman are telling us that even more atrocities must be done.

I'm amused by her complaint about government regulation of government funded activities.

[T'wit]

Eugenics advocates are irreversibly deranged and must be eliminated.

[hocndoc]

That depends on what you mean by "eliminate."

Let's just outlaw the actions of the eugenicists.

I am so encouraged by the strides with non-destructive stem cells.

[little jeremiah]

later eugenics and worse pingout.

[T'wit]

>> That depends on what you mean by "eliminate."

I meant, like, bludgeon them, behead them, hang them, put them before firing squads, bayonet them, electrocute them, give them lethal injections, perform medical experiments on them until they croak, that sort of thing. Kill them. Liquidate them. Turn them into Norwegian blue parrots. Run over them with bulldozers and steamrollers. Drop them out of airplanes. Push them off cliffs. Give them cement booties and sink them in the East River. Dissolve them in strong acids. Splatter their brains. Draw and quarter them. Pierce them with numerous lances, swords, knives, hatpins and arrows. Slit their throats. Disembowel them.

I'm sorry my earlier msg wasn't clear.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Just a little hint of satire there...

[T'wit]

>> Just a little hint of satire there...

I hope I didn't come on so strong that nobody will believe me.

[T'wit]

Another way to have eugenicists eliminated is to roast them with barbecue sauce and serve them to anthropophagists.

[Irish_Thatcherite]

Hmmmm... roasted eugenicists.

[T'wit]

There are some things that even Homer won't eat.

[Tax-chick]

It doesn't take much imagination to extrapolate from the ecological disasters due to decreased plant and animal diversity to the possible future problems of a species as complex as humans if we begin deleting entire populations based on diseases and syndromes.

Dog and cat breeders could offer some perspective on the unintended consequences of selective breeding.

[fatima]

Thanks for the ping,bump.

[hocndoc]

Excellent point. (I've always been proud of my "mixed breed" status.)