“eugenics movement still seeks to eliminate the 'unfit' and build a 'master race.”
CAMBRIDGE, UK, April 23, 2002 (LSN.ca) – In an amazing demonstration of ignorance, scientists at the Wellcome Cancer Research Institute in Cambridge suggested that harvesting stem cells from abnormal embryos rather than from healthy ones would end the ethical objection to destructive research on human embryos. John Gurdon, head of the team at the Institute said, “If an embryo is certain to die, I can't see why anyone would object to someone taking cells and working with them.”
Through various experiments with frog embryos, Gurdon created several embryos which were visibly abnormal and which died three days later. Before they died he extracted stem cells which seemed to develop normally. Since human fertility clinic treatment almost invariably generates spare embryos that are visibly abnormal, Gurdon suggested that if his results were also possible with abnormal human embryos ethical objections to such research could not be raised. His totally arbitrary argument is that, “they are not potential human beings if they are destined to die.”
American Life League president Judie Brown said the suggestion that stem cells from “defective embryos” should be used to further medical research is “appalling.” She said, “They're talking about living human beings as if they were malfunctioning household appliances. What these scientists are proposing is nothing short of human sacrifice.”
“Does this mean I, too, am not a 'potential human being'?” asked Mrs. Brown. “I am also 'destined to die.' It is just as immoral to sacrifice a multi-celled human embryo for medical research as it would be to sacrifice a toddler, a teen or a grandmother—no matter how much alleged good would be accomplished,” she said. “This term 'potential human being' is bogus. These embryos are human beings. And any of us could be considered 'defective' in some way or fashion.”
Mrs. Brown said the eugenics movement of the previous century is still alive and well. “It's just changed its focus,” she said. “The eugenics movement still seeks to eliminate the 'unfit' and build a 'master race.' But the new, high-tech version just targets innocent human beings at a much earlier stage in life.”