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Perhaps using the word "rights" is tied to a particular social or cultural condition of some modern societies. If you consider respect for human life in place of "rights" you don't get into comparisons where people bring up unrelated issues like "voting rights" to justify a position. Consider respect for life in the case of a baby born with a severe deformity that would cause its death in a week or so. The parents recognized that this unfortunate could help another baby live if the heart was donated. They agree with this donation. A baby is in waiting for a heart that is a perfect match. The waiting baby has 5 days to live at best. The donating baby is the only perfect match and the only hope. The donating baby left alone without extraordinary measures will last at least 10 days. In 10 days there may not be a need for that heart and the receiving baby will be dead for sure. Using the logic you have applied to the embryos would indicated we should hasten the death of the donating baby so that the second baby could live. If we did not hasten death the donated heart would go to waste. If we hastened the death of the first, a life could be saved instead of two deaths. Some how that does not seem right. This is a very difficult area. I think if we use the premise that human life at least begins at conception we need to think long and hard about the steps we should take to respect that life after conception. The law takes this very seriously when a mother puts her unborn at risk. This issue is considered completely outside of the abortion issue. A mother has a right to have an abortion but does not have the right to knowingly endanger her unborn at any stage. The intent of these fertility clinics is for aiding the conception of human life. I doubt that society would tolerate a second set of clinics set up to create embryo's for the sole purpose of growing organs for harvesting. Treatment of embryo's is always handled with respect as long as that "creation of life" intent is in the forefront. Once that intent is changed why should we treat these embryo's differently? When do they have a right to "respect" and when does that change? Does that change as soon as we no longer need them for their initial purpose? If that is the case there are many people on this list that should look over their shoulders because they are no longer useful for the purpose they originally filled. It may seem extreme but there are plenty of great hearts, livers and kidneys out there in PD land. If transplants were possible in 1940 Hitler would have argued the organs of people with PD could all be put to better use than to continue to sustain the life of a person who is an obvious burden on society. In the end it's still a matter of respect for human life. Care and thought must be taken to look forward to the possible repercussions of our actions. That does not mean we should take no actions just that careful thought must be taken and respectful considerations should always be encouraged. Frank cg. Teri 52/47/40 15024 ----- Original Message ----- From: "Carrie Barrott" <[log in to unmask]> To: <[log in to unmask]> Sent: Monday, April 05, 2004 10:14 AM Subject: Re: stem cell research/abortion/KF > In a message dated 4/4/2004 11:01:03 PM Pacific Daylight Time, > [log in to unmask] writes: > These 4-5 day old embryos are human life, and have rights. > *** > So why are we allowing them to be thrown into the trash bin or incinerated? > That's what happens when the couple who put them there to begin with decides > that they don't want (another) child. If these 'embryos' have rights, why do > we continually allow them to be destroyed? In fact, using them for stem cell > research would allow them to contribute to society in a very positive way. > Otherwise, throwing them away, which basically says they are useless, permits > them NOTHING except annihilation. These 'embryos' have a chance to save others > and should be allowed to do so. > > Carrie > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- > To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] > In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn > ---------------------------------------------------------------------- To sign-off Parkinsn send a message to: mailto:[log in to unmask] In the body of the message put: signoff parkinsn