Here is a follow-up letter I sent to Congressman Carlos Moorhead following my
meeting with him. I want to thank Jim Cordy and Kathie Tollifson for providing
resourses for formulating my reply.
By the way, I responded to Jim s query
<PS Any of you want to go to Washington D.C. with us June 18th and
<19th?
by saying that I would be willing to go lobby for the Udall bill if someone
would be willing to sponsor my trip since unfortunately my personal finances
would not allow for such an expense. So I will simply put this out there to you
my fellow Parkies. If there are some of you who have the resources but not the
capacity to go to D.C. on the 18th and 19th I have the capacity (thanks to a
bi-lateral Pallidotomy) but not the financial resources.
Regards,
Don
Dr. Don Berns
4943 Del Monte Rd.
La Canada, CA 91011
818-790-8812
<[log in to unmask]>
June 3, 1996
Congressman Carlos Moorhead
Rayburn H.O.B. Rm. 2346
Washington, D. C. 20515
Dear Carlos,
I want to thank you for taking time out of your busy Memorial week-end
schedule to visit with Gene Givens, Bill Dewey and myself concerning the Udall
Bill for increasing the proportion of funding for Parkinson's Disease.
You said that if we could assure you that the Udall bill would in no way
serve to promote abortions you would be willing to support the bill. This was
the only problem you had with the bill. Rather than blanket you with reams of
material which would probably never be read I have chosen to quote from a letter
by Kathie Tollifson (<[log in to unmask]>)posted on the Internet.
It is definitely possible to maintain strong pro-life beliefs and accept
the fetal tissue implant as a treatment alternative. I have struggled through
this issue in my own life and conscience, and talked to other Christians,
including 2 of my pastors, trying to settle my mind about it. Being a young
parky (45) the fetal tissue implant holds strong appeal for me because of its
potential restorative value, and being a committed Christian, it is important
that whatever choices I make not be offensive to the God I serve.
Given all the safeguards in place that remove the monetary incentives
for abortion, and the methods of approaching the topic with the patient
(mother), I think we can reasonably assume that no one is conceiving babies and
having abortions to get rich. Therefore, an implant becomes virtually the only
way the unwanted child (or fetus) can be of any significant value to anyone.
Please don't get me wrong, I am in no way implying that a person's value is
associated with his/hers ability to be useful. I think we should be very careful
to avoid this position. But being carted off with the trash doesn't seem like a
particularly redemptive way to end a life, however brief.
Furthermore, the Udall Bill does not contain one reference to abortion
and/or fetal tissue.
Upton's legislation already enacted into law prohibits one from
attempting to designate a specific recipient of an aborted fetus. It also
prohibits any profit from the sale or distribution of aborted fetus. I believe
this effectively disconnects the decision to have an abortion from the ultimate
end use of the aborted fetus.
A final statement made by a researcher at the University of Pittsburgh to
Senator Santorum says it well, "the best way to assure that human fetal tissue
is not part of the ultimate solutions is to pass the Udall Bill. There are just
so many other promising areas, without the difficulties of human fetal tissue.
You said that you would check out any connection between the Udall bill
and abortion issues with your colleagues once you got back to Washington and I
trust that you will have time to do this. In the meantime if I can provide any
more information to you that would be helpful in getting you to co-sponsor
please let me know.
I sincerely believe that the abortion is really a non-issue with this
bill. The importance of this bill lies in its ability to help well over a
million Americans who will no longer need to suffer as your father-in-law did
with the ravages of Parkinson's Disease.
SO I APPEAL TO YOU ON BEHALF OF MY FELLOW PARKINSON WARRIORS TO HELP US
EASE THE BURDEN AND FIND A CURE by passing the Udall bill this year while you
are still in Congress. After all, what greater legacy could you leave behind.
Thanks again for your benevolent consideration.
Sincerely yours,
Rev. Don Berns
La Canada Presbyterian Church
626 Foothill Blvd.
La Canada, CA 91011
