 |
 |
Phil Lammers and others, I respect and agree with those who have written why a "pro-life" position is not inconsistent with support of fetal cell and stem cell research but I can't let this one go bye without some comments. Phil (Lammers), you certainly have the right not to take advantage of the potential gains made by the fetal cell transplant research and reading your letter closely I understand your position as that you are speaking for yourself and trying to convince others rather than impose your views on others As someone who has taken risk as a subject in a fetal transplant research project and someone in a wheelchair as a result of 10 years of PD I must take strong issue with those who would impose their religious dogma on the rest of us in ways that impede research. I resent the fact that such research was banned during the Reagan and Bush administrations because of people who think they have a monopoly on morality I have written much here about the need for stem cell research. I don't think that fetal cell transplants will be the ultimate "cure" only an important step along the way which is more likely come from stem cells. But we could be much further along. I am grateful that the present administration and NIH disagree with you.. The issue of when human life begins is a religious-philisophical question without a simple answer. One's faith may provide direction or doctrine but it is their personal answer not the societies'. Abortion is a personal decision. It is a tragedy when someone needs to make the choice of whether to bring a potential human life into the world. But the choice is theirs, not mine, not yours. They have to answer to their own conscience and to God not to The Moral Majority or other GRAND INQUISITORS. It is true that science has made progress in spite of the fact that religious dogma has often stood in its way. But, it took 500 years to pardon Galileo and most of us with PD don't have that kind of time to wait.. This is obviously a hot issue especially with the AAN study results now published. I think we need to be careful if to discuss and argue about ideas not. attack people. Charlie philip j lammers wrote: > Following is a portions of a letter which I submitted to The Sheboygan > Press in the Letters To The Editor. It was printed on December 11, 1992 > It was in response to an article entitled "Fetal tissue research looks > promising " by a columnist by the name of Joan Beck. > > It was my opinion in 1992 and it is one which I feel even stronger about > today. I quote the letter in part: > > KILLING A FETUS NO SOLUTION FOR PARKINSON'S DISEASE > > ....................In one of her paragraphs, Ms. Beck states, "But such > successes do offer hope that fetal tissue transplants can be an effective > treatment for Parkinson's Disease..........." > > It would not and does not offer hope to me. I cannot even begin to > consider that an unborn life , one that has not as yet enjoyed the love > of family and the many joys of God's creation , should have to give up > its life so that I might be able to possibly extend my 52 years with an > improved state of health. > > ..........In the fetal tissue transplant, the donor must give up its > life. > > You say, there is no life in a fetus as it has not as yet been born. > Earlier in her column Ms. Beck states , "But fetal tissue is necessary > for such transplants . Fetal cells can survive long enough for the > procedure to be done." I think the key word in this quote is "survive". > For something to survive, there had to be life as indicated in The > American Collegiate Dictionary under the definition of "survive". > > ...........One person has already given His life for me that I might have > a fuller life. It is His birth that we celebrate this Christmas season > And that is the only life I need to have been given for me." > > End of article. I would be happy to mail a copy of the entire to anyone > who would request it. > > Philip J Lammers 58/15 > > [log in to unmask] -- ****************************************************************************************** Charles T. Meyer, M.D. Middleton (Madison), Wisconsin [log in to unmask] ******************************************************************************************