Life Links 10/6/08

The Los Angeles Times is featuring an article on how some families who want to give their embryonic children for medical research are facing some obstacles. The article includes a rather sad quote from the embryos’ parents.

"I thought of them as potential life, but I don't think of them as children," says Chris Bailey. "They are definitely more than sperm and egg."

After much discussion, the couple decided to donate the embryos to research.

"We felt we were so lucky that research had been done and [that it] gave us the opportunity to have children," says Tanya Bailey. "So why not give our embryos to research as well to help somebody else out?"

How about the simple fact they’re your children and not research materials?


The Los Angeles Times also has an article on how donating embryo for adoption can supposedly be difficult except the only reason it was difficult for the lone individual they profile is because she didn’t want to use an embryo adoption service (instead she’s just trying to find someone on the internet) and wants the adoptive family to make her the children’s godmother. To me, Leanna Wolfe seems to be more focused on what she can get out of donating her embryos (the embryos were conceived with both egg and sperm donors) as opposed to focusing on giving those embryos the best chance at life. This is typically how it works with donations - if you’re focused on getting as much as you can out of a “donation” then it isn’t really that much of a donation.


The Boston Globe has an article on abortion with video of Cardinal Sean O’Malley’s address at the recent Respect Life Walk in Boston.


Rebecca Taylor on human embryos and the duty to die mentality.

But what I realized is that Lady Warnock and others who share her opinions really think there are humans that have a "duty to die." Not just the sick or elderly who are a burden on their families, but also the "left-over" embryos from IVF.

This twisted logic says that "left-over" human embryos in the deep freeze have a "duty to die" to give the rest of us "cures." It is the frozen embryo's duty to be ripped open for the "betterment of society" just like it is the duty of the sick and eldery to get rid of themselves.

Rita Marker writes a letter to Mary Warnock explaining why her attempts to legalize assisted suicide in Britain have failed.

By now you should realize that Lee has been very effective in the years since she first worked on a proposal that mirrored yours. And, Baroness, you can also be effective. All you need to do is remember a few crucial points:

* Be very careful with language. Use soothing phrases.
* Don't try to achieve your entire goal at one time. Use a step-by-step approach.
* Manufacture statistics. Use them to bolster your claims, whatever they are.
* Portray any opposition as "anti-choice religious zealots."
* Keep all focus on the current proposal. Never discuss your plans for expansion.
* Always portray your motivation as caring and compassionate. Never, ever, let anyone know that you see legalized assisted suicide and euthanasia as a means of cost containment.