Jun 08 2007
Losing Respect For Life
Another problem we have is we are losing our respect for life. I guess in this culture of trivializing others we have become used to destroying rather than respecting. The House of Representatives came way too close to legislating the harvesting of young human beings for spare parts. The numbers are stunning:
The House approved expanding federal funding for human embryonic stem-cell research, while falling short of the support needed to override President George W. Bush’s threatened veto.
The House’s 247-176 vote fell more than 30 short of the two-thirds majority needed to override a veto.
247 people think it is a good idea to destroy human life to create spare parts for others. It is just mind boggling we have become so self absorbed we cannot see how wrong this is. It is time to take a case into a courtroom and prove to the law what the science already knows. An embryo is a human being. Check the DNA. Use the same tests we use in court cases all over this country. And you will find something else when you check the DNA. It is not part of the mother. It is a symbiant organism (not a parasite). The same tests that identify murderers or set free the innocent will, without any ambiguity and consistently every time, prove the embryo is a distinct human being. If the DNA tests prove this, then why is it the law won’t recognize this?
Timing is interesting with respect to the announcement that mice ASEs seem to be able to be “reprogrammed” to exhibit ESC traits. Further research may well expand that to human SEs in the not too distant future.
I seem to have read somewhere, and wonder about the veracity of this, that the real push behind ESCs is that ESC clones can be patented while ASC clones cannot.
jwb
JWB beat me to it. The article he/she is referring to appeared in our local paper yesterday. It’s an AP article by Malcolm Ritter, but I couldn’t find it on AP’s site. AJ, see if your resources are better than mine. If not, it’s a short article, and I’ll reproduce it from the hard copy. Reeeeeeeally interesting (and promising) research that, if carried to fruition in humans would make the whole controversy surrounding ESCR moot.
This is misrepresntative, intellectually disingenuous and a prime example of cherry picking available data:
Embryonic stem cells may be derived from embryos that develop from eggs that have been fertilized in vitro—in an in vitro fertilization clinic—and then donated for research purposes with informed consent of the donors. They are not derived from eggs fertilized in a woman’s body.
Typically, in vitro clinics will fertilize more than egg donors will ever need for purposes of cost efficiency and redundancy. The fertilized eggs that are NOT implanted for reproductive purposes are usually frozen for some period of time and then disposed of. Literally thrown in the trash. Instead of flushing a source of embryonic stem cells down a toilet somewhere, these embryonic stem cells may be used to assist in valuable research.
A very small number of these “rescued” embryonic cells – which are destined for disposal – can be cultivated in the labratory:
Growing cells in the laboratory is known as cell culture. Human embryonic stem cells are isolated by transferring the inner cell mass into a plastic laboratory culture dish that contains a nutrient broth known as culture medium. The cells divide and spread over the surface of the dish. The inner surface of the culture dish is typically coated with mouse embryonic skin cells that have been treated so they will not divide. This coating layer of cells is called a feeder layer. The reason for having the mouse cells in the bottom of the culture dish is to give the inner cell mass cells a sticky surface to which they can attach. Also, the feeder cells release nutrients into the culture medium. Recently, scientists have begun to devise ways of growing embryonic stem cells without the mouse feeder cells. This is a significant scientific advancement because of the risk that viruses or other macromolecules in the mouse cells may be transmitted to the human cells.
Over the course of several days, the cells of the inner cell mass proliferate and begin to crowd the culture dish. When this occurs, they are removed gently and plated into several fresh culture dishes. The process of replating the cells is repeated many times and for many months, and is called subculturing. Each cycle of subculturing the cells is referred to as a passage. After six months or more, the original 30 cells of the inner cell mass yield millions of embryonic stem cells. Embryonic stem cells that have proliferated in cell culture for six or more months without differentiating, are pluripotent, and appear genetically normal are referred to as an embryonic stem cell line.
Voting to support research using these destined for disposal cells is hardly thinking it is a good idea to destroy human life to create spare parts for others.
Sooth,
In vitro means sperm and egg which makes a human being. It doens’t produce anything else. Sorry, but I have the BS in biology and you probably limped by HS bio class.
Just be honest about the science. A human embryo is a human being. if nurtured a baby will be found roughly 9 months later.
DNA is a stubborn thing. The DNA proves beyond any legal doubt that these are people being harvested for spare parts. And sadly, there is no reason to do this except you might be able to patent the genes and make more money than if you used the adult stem cells.
Dear AJ:
As a National Merit Scholar with SAT’s of 1570 I didn’t exactly limp by in HS bio – but I’ll go slow so everybody can keep up.
Yes, in vitro means a sperm and an egg. Fertilized. But in the course of assisting couples with difficulties in having children, in vitro clinics fertilize MANY, MANY, MANY more eggs than the couple could ever use. So they store the surplus fertilized eggs. Mmm-kay?
And then periodically – like we all do when we toss out the spaghetti sauce with the green mold on it – the clinics dispose of the extra eggs – literally tossing them out or flushing them.
Some couples, instead of thowing them out, donate them for embryonic stem cell research. Mmmm-kay?
So the choice is – should they be pitched or flushed for no purpose – or used to conduct research that could lead to cures for Parkinsons or diabetes or Alzheimers?
I report – you decide.
In my mind, it makes far more sense to utilize a resource that is bound for destruction anyway, than to simply flush and forget.
As a corollary – if you sincerely believe that frozen fertilized eggs are human beings – how come nobody is picketing in vitro clinics for destroying the eggs? How come nobody calls the couples who allow their frozen fertilized eggs to be disposed of murderers?
SS,
Nice to rest on your high school laurels.
By your line of reasoning, we could hasten the death of dying children and adults to “benefit” from their organs. After all, they will die anyway.
I, for one, won’t delegate to anyone the authority to determine which human lives are “worth while” and which are “meaningless.
Mack-
Why is it you can’t address the fundamental issue – that these frozen fetilized eggs are bound to be destroyed anyway – they are NEVER going to have “human lives”.
By your live of reasoning we could make male masturbation a form of manslaughter, wasting as it does the countless potential human lives.
Take me in, sheriff, I’m guilty! You caught me red-handed!
sperm is a cell type, They are not organisms. That pesty science of biology and their definitions of life and forms of life. Stay out of the science fiction Sooth.
SS,
Since when is sperm a fertilized egg, with its own human identity?
I see the fundamental issue as humans treating others of their kind with dignity. “Quality of life” and “stage of development” are not determinants.
Since when is a frozen fertilized egg destined to be flushed down the toilet a “human being”. It certaily has the POTENTIAL to be a human being, if it is surgically implanted in the womb. But without the intervention of medical science, it will never be a human being. And every sperm also has the POTENTIAL to become a human (if it gets lucky).
1. Frozen fertilized eggs are recognized by the law as “property”. They have been the subject of legal opinions in divorce cases. When custody of fertilized eggs is determined, the basis for the determination is property rights, not “the best interests of the children.” A frozen egg is not a child.
2. Every day in vitro clinics, at the behest of the person who OWNS the frozen eggs, dispose of them by throwing them in the trash or flushing them down a toilet. Is the dignity of a frozen egg diminished by being used in research as opposed to being flushed down a toilet in New York City? Which is more dignified – being flushed or helping to cure diabetes???
3. The existing stem cell lines that your boy George OK’d came from embryonic stem cells. Is he an accessory after the fact to murder?
4. If the frozen eggs are “human beings” why aren’t you out picketing fertility clinics? Why don;t you go file a manslaughter complaint with the local district attorney?? If you truly believe the frozen eggs are human and you DON’T act – your a total hypocrite.