Ellen Goodman's Hack Attack

If you've ever wondered how some columnists continue to make a living by spewing forth lies and ignorance, read this column by Ellen Goodman and you'll be wondering even more.

Only 4 percent of the frozen embryos are available for donation -- half designated for research and half for infertile couples. No way will they all be ''adopted."

No way? 4% of 400,000 is 16,000. It is quite possible that 16,000 embryonic children could be adopted considering how many couples in the United States are looking to adopt. If embryo adoption received more publicity, there is certainly a possibility that thousands of couples would consider this option.

Embryos are not human beings.

Really? Do you have any evidence for that assertion? Do you have any embryologists to back you up? If they aren't human beings, what are they?

They carry the potential for human life that deserves moral attention and respect. It's not disrespectful to donate embryos to the search for a cure for diseases. Nor is it respectful to keep embryos in a freezer until they're eligible for Social Security.

Ok. What's the logic here? Embryos deserve respect but it's not disrespectful to kill them for their stem cells but it is disrespectful to keep them frozen for a long period of time.

I wonder if Goodman would have the same kind of respect for death row inmates. "The lives of these killers deserve our respect. It's not disrespectful to kill them and donate their organs to save lives. Nor is it respectful to keep them locked up forever or and waste those precious organs by lethal injection."