NEWS: European Parliament Rejects Genetics Report

From: J Corbally (icorb@indigo.ie)
Date: Sat Dec 01 2001 - 05:02:39 MST


Looks like the Euro parliament is a little bit more "reasonable" than the
current conservative trend in the U.S. at the moment, but only just.

>http://dailynews.yahoo.com/h/nm/20011129/hl/eu_2.html

>BRUSSELS (Reuters Health) - After a morning of passionate debate, with
>cries of ``cannibalism'' and ``sub-humans,'' the European Parliament on
>Thursday overwhelmingly rejected a 300-page draft report on the ethical,
>legal, economic and social implications of human genetics.
>Robert Goebbels, the socialist Euro-MP who chaired the special committee
>throughout its year-long discussions, told Reuters Health after the vote
>that it left Parliament looking ''ridiculous and undignified.''

Loved this bit;

>In a confused series of votes, the Parliament initially introduced several
>amendments that were mutually contradictory--seeking in some cases to
>tighten controls on genetic research, and in other cases to ease them

It looks as though most people just can't put the pieces of this debate
together. Maybe when they realize how "contradictory" their current views
can be, they'll wise up a bit. Or at least think some more.

I think we're heading for something big here in Europe the first time a
clone pregnancy/child is presented to the media. People are going to wake
up big time when it comes to figuring out that their choices will be to
have a state ordered abortion (NOT going to go down well, not going to
happen either), or in the case of a child, jailing the mother and all
involved (NOT going to go down well). Wonder how the foster parents (Coz
Daddy, if there is one, will likely be sent down too) will answer when the
child asks;

"Why is my Mommy in prison?"

"Because she did a bad thing. She had you".

Any volunteers?

James....

"If you can't take a little bloody nose, maybe you ought to go back home and
crawl under your bed. It's not safe out here. It's wondrous, with treasures
to satiate desires both subtle and gross. But it's not for the timid."
-Q, Star Trek:TNG episode 'Q Who'



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