The controversies and ill will that exist beween those who are "pro"
and those who are "con" the use of human fetal material for biomedical
research never cease to puzzle me. Is there a simple common denominator that
unites alot of people, based on their introspection and logical debate? I
think not. It makes me feel embarrassed that otherwise thughtful and
fairminded people can get so confused and attempt to draw others into the
same confusion.
I'm not goig to bring in religion or even faith. That is to each his
own, which does not diminish its importrance. I believe that we must
delegate a reasonable sense of humanity into our children, but then let them
grow up using their own moral resources not the ones they could find in the
concentration camp or the prison. When this is effective then a seed of
tolereance will have been planted that will grow into a tree of confidence
and the ability to share with others. This is somethng that must be learned
by rational discussion, introspection and giving. A result is that cruelty,
sadisic torture, of animals, must be clearly recognized for what it does to
our self-rerspect and treatment of other men and women. People are
antagonistic to fetal experimentation, because they have failed to learn
that we have nothing to apologize for if we make humane use of extremely
important sources of information that will prermit a slow but spectacular
gain in understanding of how we normally function, how our organs and
tissues become diseased and how we can treat them. When we gain such an
understandings of the meanings of life, healh and disease, we will finally
accept the contribution we bionedical scientist must make to jusify our
expendidtures for basic research and the costly treatment of human beings
with debilitating diseases.
Steven Mayer, Vanderbilt University MedicalCenter:
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>
>What are those of us with PD to do while Keith works out his moral dilemma?
-- As he
>changes from "strongly opposed" to "I'm not sure" to whatever...?? Do we
suffer in
>silence? Do we give up our hopes of a successful therapeutic intervention?
Do we watch
>the Udall Bill die because of all the ignorant, knee-jerk, unsubstantiated
rhetoric on
>this subject? My answer in NO.
>
>Mr. Bea says, "...I'm not a patient." Well, I am. And if aborted fetal
tissue will
>improve my quality of life, I'm going to use it. Period.
>
>I suggest to Mr. Bea, and anyone else who has an "opinion" on this issue to
be grateful
>that we live in the good ol' US of A, where everyone is entitled to express
their
>opinions. But I would also remind you that when I sit down and calmly weigh the
>real-world value of all of the numerous opinions and "moral imperatives"
re: fetal
>tissue research against my own personal struggle with a devastating,
progressive
>neurological disease, I realize the simple truth that these lofty opinions
aren't
>helping reduce the tremors, and the knee-jerk rhetoric doesn't make it any
easier in the
>morning to button my shirt or deal with the bradykinesia. Get the picture
Keith?
>
>Respectfully, Martin K Bayne Email= [log in to unmask]
>
>
