Hi y'all - I was interested to learn that chimpanzees will become legal persons. I can't wait to marry one!
On Jan 16, 9:45 am, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > no...but it is what it is - a filed intent to do damage if possible, unless > I misread the intentions. > > I was interestingly vague, but who knows what kind of fracas can be > construed out of hot air...happened before. > > Okay, I fess up, it was my first visit there and it just pissed me off:) > > On Thu, Jan 15, 2009 at 8:49 PM, ornamentalmind > <[email protected]>wrote: > > > > > > > > > CB, without going into depth, did the article discuss details about > > "Any > > abuses or problems that come to light in WA, will, as in Oregon, be > > ignored > > by state authorities and go mostly unreported by the media."? I > > haven't heard of any here in Oregon and follow it all quite closely. > > > On Jan 15, 1:59 pm, CrossBow <[email protected]> wrote: > > > Ok, I had to visit the site but don't worry, I had my barf bucket handy. > > > So, below are thier major concerns for the year of 2009. How well they > > show > > > thier hand! thanks, we know where to look for trouble:) NO SUN TZU for > > > them! > > > --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > > *A Dark Year for Ethical Bioethics in 2009 > > > > By: Wesley J. Smith< > >http://www.discovery.org/scripts/viewDB/index.php?command=view&id=13&;...> > > > *The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network > > > January 14, 2009 > > > > Each year at this time, I predict the coming year's happenings in the > > field > > > of bioethics. Such prognostications do not require a crystal ball. It is > > > merely a matter of being informed about current controversies, sniffing > > the > > > air to see which way the wind seems to be blowing, connecting some dots, > > and > > > making educated guesses about how things will turn out. > > > > Alas, the bioethical events of 2009 are all too easy to foresee. While > > the > > > recent election results were not determined by bioethical issues - the > > > economic meltdown swept all other considerations aside - it amounted to a > > > cultural earthquake nonetheless because the people now in power have > > views > > > that are inimical to the sanctity and equality of human life. > > > > Biotechnology > > > > The Bush Embryonic Stem Cell Funding Policy is Toast: Let's start with > > the > > > obvious: One of the first acts of President Obama will be to dismantle > > the > > > Bush ESCR federal funding restrictions. This will allow all embryonic > > stem > > > cell lines already in existence - and those that will be manufactured > > from > > > "leftover embryos" during the Obama presidency - to qualify for federal > > > funding. > > > > The Amount of Federal Funding of Human ESCR Will Remain Roughly the Same: > > > The real gripe "the scientists" had with the former Bush policy was not > > the > > > amount of financial support - the NIH gave about $160 million in human > > ESCR > > > grants during the Bush years. Rather, it was Bush's implied message that > > it > > > is wrong morally to use human embryos as instrumentalities and their > > having > > > to segregate work on Bush-approved and unapproved cell lines. Those > > > "problems" are now kaput, but given the economy and the current > > > technological problems in the field, don't look for the amount of money > > the > > > Feds put into ESCR, to rise substantially, if at all, in 2009. > > > > New Federal Law Will Explicitly Legalize Therapeutic Cloning: Nearly > > > everyone claims to want to outlaw human cloning. But some proposed bans > > are > > > actually phony. This has been the approach taken by Senators Diane > > Feinstein > > > (D-CA) and Orin Hatch (R-UT), who co-authored a bill to legalize human > > SCNT > > > for research purposes (sometimes called "therapeutic cloning"), but > > prohibit > > > implantation of the cloned embryo into a womb for the purpose of > > initiating > > > a pregnancy (sometimes called "reproductive cloning"). Such an explicit > > > legalization - pretending to be a ban - is likely to pass the Senate this > > > year, although it might stall in the House. If it gets through Congress > > it > > > is a sure bet to be signed into law by President Obama. > > > > The Federal Government Will Not Fund Human Cloning in 2009: > > Feinstein/Hatch > > > is the necessary precursor to federal funding of human SCNT. While that > > will > > > still be the plan, don't expect the agenda to get that far in 2009. > > > > Assisted Suicide > > > > There were two big news stories about assisted suicide in 2008 - > > Washington > > > voters legalized Oregon-style assisted suicide by ballot initiative > > > (I-1000), and a Montana trial judge declared a constitutional right for > > the > > > terminally ill to "die with dignity." These events will materially impact > > > the future of the field. > > > > Washington Assisted Suicide Will Quickly Seem Routine: As with Oregon, > > > Compassion and Choices will facilitate most assisted suicides in > > Washington, > > > allowing the group substantial control over what the media reports about > > the > > > issue. With most reporters in the tank for the agenda anyway, we will > > soon > > > be told that assisted suicide is completely under control in Washington. > > Any > > > abuses or problems that come to light in WA, will, as in Oregon, be > > ignored > > > by state authorities and go mostly unreported by the media. > > > > The Montana Supreme Court will Create a Constitutional Right to Assisted > > > Suicide: Too many judges believe that they, rather than the people or > > > legislators, should decide major social controversies. In this spirit, > > look > > > for the Montana Supreme Court to agree with the trial judge that there is > > a > > > state constitutional right to assisted suicide. > > > > At Least One State Legislature Will Vote to Legalize Assisted Suicide: > > Look > > > for Hawaii, California, and/or Vermont to legalize assisted suicide > > through > > > the legislative process. Whether these proposals become law will depend > > on > > > whether the governors of the affected states have the courage to veto the > > > bills. I predict that at least one governor will sign such a bill, > > > establishing another landmark for assisted suicide. That event will open > > the > > > floodgates in 2010. > > > > Miscellaneous > > > > There are many other issues in bioethics that will make the news > > headlines > > > in 2009: > > > > Abortion: The Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA) - which would erase all state > > > laws limiting abortion - will be fought tooth and tong by the pro life > > > movement. It will not pass in 2009. However, abortions will be eligible > > for > > > federal funding by the end of the year. > > > > Conscience Clauses: One of the great bioethical battles in the coming > > years > > > will be whether medical professionals who do not wish to be complicit in > > > life-ending activities such as abortion or assisted suicide will be > > driven > > > out of health care. The Bush Administration passed a regulation at the > > end > > > of his term protecting such dissenting health care workers from being > > > discriminated against in employment for harkening to the call of > > conscience. > > > Look for this rule to be overturned by the Obama Administration, or > > > overturned by legislation. Thereafter, the drive to exclude health care > > > professionals who wish to abide by the terms of the Hippocratic Oath will > > > pick up steam. > > > > Human Exceptionalism: Timing is uncertain, but look for the European > > Court > > > of Human Rights to declare that chimpanzees are legal persons in Europe, > > > perhaps this year, but almost certainly by the end of 2010. Spain will > > > formally pass the Great Ape Project making great apes part of the > > "community > > > of equals" with people. Nepal will follow Ecuador in granting "rights" to > > > nature. > > > > Futile Care: Texas will not rescind its law legalizing medical futility > > in > > > 2009. At least one lawsuit will make the news in which a family fights a > > > hospital in court to continue wanted life-sustaining treatment that the > > > hospital wishes to end. > > > > Biological Colonialism: Alas, despite legal attempts to restrict the > > > exploitation of the world's destitute for their body parts, biological > > > colonialism (such as buying organs), will increase in 2009. > > > > Expect the Unexpected: The field of bioethics is moving so fast and > > growing > > > so exponentially, that the biggest bioethics story of the year may be one > > > that hasn't yet appeared on the horizon - as the surprising breakthrough > > in > > > induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were in 2007. > > > > It's going to be a dark year in 2009. In such an atmosphere, it is more > > > important than ever to defend the sanctity/equality of human life. The > > CBC > > > is dedicated to this struggle and promises to do its utmost to maintain > > > morality and decency in the world of bioethics in the coming year. > > > > -- > > > gnothe se auton > > -- > gnothe se auton- Hide quoted text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Memphis Freethought Alliance" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/memphisfreethoughtalliance?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
