Posted on 10/18/2005 11:41:01 AM PDT by NYer
AUCKLAND, October 18, 2005 (LifeSiteNews.com) – Pro-life groups are roundly criticizing Auckland University scientists who are conducting research on eyes obtained from babies aborted in the US.
New Zealand’s Investigate magazine uncovered what it describes as “Auschwitz-style” experiments on aborted children at the university. Investigate reveals the university has been importing slices of aborted fetuses into New Zealand from America for the past 18 months, in what’s believed to be the first research of its kind in New Zealand.
The University said it approved the research led by Dr Keely Bumsted O'Brien, from the Optometry Department, on the basis of ethical approvals allegedly obtained in the United States, where the fetal body parts are being harvested at abortion clinics. Inquiries by Investigate suggest, however, that there are serious questions about the quality of the ethical approval process in the US. Bumsted O'Brien won a three-year grant worth $827,930 from the taxpayer-funded Health Research Council in May.
A Family Life International statement released Tuesday stated, “The research being conducted at the Auckland University on the remains of aborted foetuses is gravely immoral and it should be stopped immediately. The research that is being carried out on the remains of aborted children at Auckland University is gravely immoral and it can only lead to an even worse devaluing of human life.”
“The mentality that drives such experiments, that the ends justifies the means, is the exact same mentality that fuelled the horrific experiments carried out by Nazi doctors during the Second World War,” the FLI emphasized. “The purchasing of foetal remains, for any reason, turns abortion into a heinous money making exercise, and it further degrades the life of the baby that is lost to abortion and the mother involved.”
The university’s dead baby experiments are currently legal because fetal tissues are excluded from the Human Tissue Act, however new legislation expected in 2006 is expected to make it clear that consent of the mother is necessary before her baby’s remains be used in experiments. The new guidelines are being written by the National Ethics Advisory Committee.
Listen to an Investigate interview with Linda Tracy, the President of Advanced Bioscience Resources Inc, the organisation carrying out fetal body part harvesting in the US: http://www.investigatemagazine.com/ABRinterview.mp...
You wrote: "it's a big jump from [induced abortions], to condemning all research using fetal tissue, regardless of its origin.
I never condemned all research using fetal tissues, regardless of its origin; neither, I think, has anybody on this thread (correct me if I'm wrong.)
Part of the legacy of Nuremberg was the rejection of research from a "tainted source." This is because such research strongly tends to make the death of the research victim to seem, if not justifiable, at least "redeemable" ---- and adding "profitable" only compounds to problem.
IMHO, it's extremely naive to think these NZ researchers are importing eyeballs from spontaneous abortions/miscarriages. For one thing, human offspring who die in the womb often do so because of pathological conditions in themselves or in their mothers; by the time they emerge from the womb, their more delicate tissues (such as eyes) would be likely be somewhat macerated and necrotic.
Much more attractive, from a research point of view, would be young tissues and organs from healthy subjects in healthy pregnancies. You'll only get that from induced abortions.
Ah yes. Wonderful Brave New World we're all living in, dontcha think? I'm so proud we have a Supreme Soviet-er-"Court" that has repeatedly ruled in favor of a Woman's Precious Right to Choose I feel like projectile vomiting through the mail slot of my local Planned Parenthood center. However, redgolum old pal, I think you're being a little rough on the former Generalissimo. Francisco Franco may have been something of a cold customer but the choice in 1936-'39 Spain was between a military regime and a vicious, increasingly Stalinist government in Madrid. I'll admit I would rather have seen the great "Radio General", Quiepo de Llano running the show, but there is no denying Franco's Nationalists saved Catholic, Western civilization in Spain and preserved that civilization for four decades. Honestly, I wish Franco still ruled Spain. He certainly would be better than those miserable Socialists now doing their best to destroy the country. Arriba Espana!!
"Life-threatening blood-pressure spikes are rare in the first two-thirds of pregnancy, and after that (still rare) the baby can safely be delivered by C-section, and is quite likely to survive, as is the mother."
(TC: didn't think you'd mind my speading your wisdom around...)
Ahem. I'd have preferred to find numbers on that before being quoted as an authoritative source!
Okay, here are some numbers. The majority of the 6-8% are not life-threatening to the mother or the baby, but are treated with bedrest, dietary adjustments, and other means until natural delivery occurs. Labor may be induced in the last 2 weeks of pregnancy, especially if the baby is large.
Now I'll go look for an emergency c-section rate due to preeclampsia.
Majority of cases of preeclampsia occur after 20 weeks; 25 weeks is considered the earliest for a premature delivery to have much chance of the baby's surviving.
Still looking for emergency delivery numbers.
But they are no more eyes than that thing with arms and legs mouth and nose is a baby! (disgusting)
Is Planned Parenthood the main seller of baby parts? It seems they collect from the mother to kill her baby and then sell the dead baby's body parts to labs all over the world. Hell will have a special room for these evil doers.
Quoted for verity.
Also don't forget that it was Franco-not his Stalinist foes-who gradually-but inexorably-eradicated fascism from Europe.
Brian Crozier wrote one of the most authoritative-and balanced-biographies of the man-while he was still in power-which should be required reading for everyone who has been subjected to the routine vilification-or less often, hagiography-of this historic political figure.
Ooh, that's going on my library list, thanks!
Phoop. Mecklenburg County has it in the system, but their online catalog is bugging out. I'll have to request it when I'm at the library.
Planned Parenthood legalized the process.
Hell will have a special room for these evil doers.
You are probably right. To take a life is one thing. To then misappropriate the remains is something truly insidious. Were I a student at this university and someone placed before me the aborted remains of another human being for purposes of experimentation, I would walk out of that classroom and right down to the Dean's office. ALL human life comes from God and deserves the dignity to which it is entitled.
Pricy! I'll wait until I can get to the library.
I honestly don't know if it's still in print.
You would assume it is, since Crozier is-outside of Richard Pipes, Harvey Klehr, and a few others-probably the foremost living Cold War historian.
Then again, who knows?
He also write a brilliant history of the Soviet Empire, which was published a few years ago.
It's more concise than the Black Book of Communism, but almost as informative in some respects.
Mecklenburg has the book on the Soviets, too. I'll request both.
Thanks for the link. I've read a couple of his books, and he absolutely makes me sick.
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