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Patty
Nixon, executive director of Alberta Pro-Life, expressed
disappointment with the new reproductive technology bill
introduced in Parliament yesterday by Health Minister Anne
McLellan.
“This
bill would allow researchers to kill human embryos for
research,” she said. “Is this really what Canadians
want?”
The
legislation would allow researchers to extract stem cells
from human embryos, a procedure that kills the embryo.
Stem cells have the potential to develop into any kind
of tissue and researchers hope to use them to find cures
for diseases like Parkinson’s, diabetes and a host
of others.
Minister
McLellan told critics in the House of Commons that the
stem cells would come from “surplus embryos”
from in vitro fertilization procedures. They would “go
in the garbage” if not used for research.
“That
is the same argument the Nazis used to experiment on Jews
and others in the death camps. They were going to the
gas chamber anyway. Hitler and his doctors were condemned
for their barbaric attitude towards human life,”
said Mrs. Nixon.
Alberta
Pro-Life agrees with those, including some members of
the Commons health committee, who have urged the government
to focus instead on adult stem cell research which has
had better success in human trials and poses no ethical
dilemma.
“This
bill turns human beings into commodities to be used and
killed for research,” said Mrs. Nixon. “Embryos
are small, developing and vulnerable but they are human
beings. If we go down this road, who will be the next
research target?”
For
more information, contact Patty Nixon, 780-421-7747.
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