Research foes decry embryo 'slaughter'
July 17, 2001 Posted:  7:30 PM EDT (2330 GMT)
John Borden held his twin sons before legislators asking,
"Which one of my children would you kill?

WASHINGTON (CNN) -- Opponents of embryonic stem cell
research equated it with genocide Tuesday as they urged
lawmakers to oppose government funding for it.

"This debate is about whether we as society want to federally
fund destructive human experiments on the littlest humans,"
said Joann Davidson, program director of the Snowflakes
Embryo Adoption Program in California.

Joining Davidson at a House Government Reform subcommittee
hearing were John and Lucinda Borden, parents of twin boys
who were adopted as embryos.

"Mark and Luke are living rebuttals to the claim that embryos
are not people," Lucinda Borden told subcommittee members.
Of the embryos, she said, "We plead with you not to fund
their slaughter."

Her husband then held up his children before the legislators.
"Which one of my children would you kill?" he asked.
"Which one would you choose to take?"

Capitol Hill debate heats up
Lawmakers and advocates on both sides of the debate weighed
in at the hearing and at an earlier news conference organized
by research proponents.

Scientists believe stem-cell research could lead to treatment
of diseases such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and diabetes,
and supporters hope to persuade President Bush to support
federal funding.

"Today embryos are being discarded that could be saving me
and a million people with Parkinson's,"  said Joan Samuelson,
president and founder of the Parkinson's Action Network.
"Please Mr. President, you hold our future and our lives
in your hands."

But many abortion foes are urging Bush to block federal
funding for the embryonic studies, saying the research
involves destroying human life.

"Before the U.S. government condones with federal funding
research that results in the destruction of living human
embryos, we have the moral obligation to explore and exhaust
every ethical alternative," Rep. Mark Souder, an Indiana
Republican, said at a House subcommittee hearing
on the issue.

Sen. Orrin Hatch, R-Utah, spoke in support of stem cell
research at a Washington press conference Tuesday.
But the lines aren't clearly drawn. Anti-abortion politicians
such as Republican Sens. Orrin Hatch of Utah
and Gordon Smith of Oregon want Bush to permit federal
funding for research because of the embryonic cells' potential
in fighting disease.

Hatch said he decided to support embryonic stem cell research
only after studying the legal, medical, religious and ethical
issues involved.

"The reality today is that each year thousands of embryos
are routinely destroyed. Why shouldn't embryos slated
for destruction be used for the benefit of mankind?"
asked Hatch at the hearing.

Bush decision expected soon
Current rules put in place by the Clinton administration
allow federal money for stem-cell research using embryos
if the work is funded by private money and the embryos
come from fertility clinics and would otherwise be discarded.

President Bush is said to be struggling with the issue
of federal funding, and White House officials say a decision
is expected later this month. He's facing intense pressure
from both sides.

Stem cells -- master cells that can transform themselves
into any type of cell in the body -- are believed to offer
the potential of regenerating damaged organs or tissue.

Jackie Singer, left, urged lawmakers to back the funding
to help her sister Molly, who has juvenile diabetes.
Pamela Madsen, executive director of the American Infertility
Association, said at the news conference that many fertilized
eggs would be discarded because couples would not opt
to donate them to anyone else.

"We would like to do something life-affirming with these
fertilized eggs," she said. "We'll make our own decision
about what we do with them, and a majority of us would
like to support stem cell research."

Twelve-year-old Jackie Singer urged lawmakers
to support funding to help her twin sister Molly,
who has juvenile diabetes.

"All Molly wants to do is live a normal healthy life,"
she said, "and embryonic stem cell research is our
best hope."

SOURCE: CNN.com
http://www.cnn.com/2001/HEALTH/07/17/stem.cell.hearing/index.html

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