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Jim Cordy wrote: > An alternative Bill intended to address pro-life concerns was > introduced last year by Chris Smith. . . . This alternative Bill > singles out Parkinson's research and holds it hostage in the > abortion debate. . . . Why has Parkinson's been singled out? I took a quick look at some of the web sites of the "Stop Fetal Tissue Research" people. Parkinson's disease is mentioned a lot. Here are excerpts of two articles I found at http://user.mc.net/dougp/ftrnews.htm >From IV. News From Around The Net: Fetal Tissue Transplantation, A NOVA SCOTIA PERSPECTIVE, by Elaine Peers, Moira MacPherson and Peter Kidd: "At present, there is adequate available tissue from elective abortions to meet the need of Parkinson's disease patients.[8] However, should the technology develop as anticipated and be effective in treating a wide variety of degenerative diseases, the amount of tissue would fall far short of the demand.[9]" >From Fetal Tissue Use For Transplants Has Limitations (Reuters): "CHICAGO, Jan. 3 -- Fetal tissues from miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are rarely suitable for transplantation, a finding that researchers said encourages use of tissue from aborted fetuses for transplants. Seven out of 1,497 spontaneously aborted embryos or products of ectopic pregnancies -- embryos developed outside the uterus -- were found to be potentially useful for human transplantation therapy, researchers from a multihospital team reported in the issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association published today. . . ." >From here it's a small step in the mind of the Stop FTR people to argue that fetal tissue use and research for PD encourages abortion. Phil Tompkins