New Jersey Set to Affront Human Dignity
New Law Will Legalize Embryo Research, Cloning, and Fetal
Harvesting
Chicago, Illinois -
January 2, 2004 - The New Jersey Legislature has passed a bill
that, if signed by the
Governor, would make the state one where some of the most terrible
crimes against humanity can be legally perpetuated.
Promoters of the bill have argued that the legislation bans
cloning and promotes embryonic stem cell research. However, bill
S1909/A2840 will not only explicitly allow embryonic stem cell
research, it will also allow somatic cell nuclear transfer (cloning)
and the development of unborn clones up until birth. It only
explicitly prohibits cloning "an individual" which the bill defines
as, "the replication of a human individual by cultivating a cell
with genetic material [the SCNT cloning process] through the egg,
embryo, fetal and newborn stages into a new human individual."
Legal analysis of the bill by Prof. Gerard Bradley at Notre Dame
Law School currently available on the
www.cloninginformation.org web site has noted that any woman found carrying a cloned
fetus would be required by law to abort her fetus, even if she
decided not to do so. Since forced abortions are not likely, the
birth of human clones is almost certain to result from this
legislation. Prof. Bradley also points out that the bill, in effect,
allows the creation of a market in embryonic and fetal body parts by
allowing "reasonable payment" for services or purchases related to
cloning and harvesting.
John F. Kilner, Ph.D., President of The Center for Bioethics and
Human Dignity, says regarding the bill, "It is disturbing enough
that this law--intentionally or unintentionally--will result in the
birth of cloned human beings and the creation of fetal human beings
explicitly in order to mine them for body parts. But it also weakens
the legal protection of newborn infants by amazingly excluding them
from the definition of a 'human being': human beings are not those
who have developed through the embryonic and fetal 'stages', but
only those who have developed through the newborn 'stage' as well."
Daniel McConchie, Director of Public Relations and Public Policy
with The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity said, "This bill is
the most explicit and extreme legalization of embryo research,
cloning, and fetal organ farming in the world. If Governor McGreevey
signs this bill, it will provide clear-cut protections for egregious
human rights violations: the exploitation of even late-term fetuses
as natural resources."
For more information about this bill, visit Americans to Ban
Cloning
www.cloninginformation.org or New Jersey State Legislature
www.njleg.state.nj.us
and search for bill S1909 or A2840.
Reporters: For Interviews
For reporters wanting
interviews with John F. Kilner or Daniel McConchie, please call The
Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity at 847-317-4097.
About The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity
The Center for Bioethics and Human Dignity is a 501(c) 3 non-profit
think tank located in Chicago, Illinois. Its mission is to develop
reasoned perspectives on all of today's bioethical issues and to
disseminate them to health care professionals, academia, cultural and
church leaders, public policy makers, and the media in order to protect
human dignity. CBHD
|
