New Head of the President's Bioethics Council

[nancylebov]

Edmund Pellegrino opposes all stem cell research

Pellegrino has been active in the national political debate over various biotech developments. For example, he participated in a press conference sponsored by Sen. Sam Brownback (R-Kan.) in 1999 opposing all human embryonic stem cell research. At the press conference, Pelligrino urged that a congressional ban "should be extended permanently to include privately supported as well as federally supported research involving the production and destruction of living human embryos."

I've been telling leftists that they should be grateful for such pathetic vestiges of libertarianism as existed in the current Administration, notably that only federally funded stem cell research was banned. Maybe they'll miss it when it's gone.

and enhancements

Fundamental questions about how enhancement affects our concepts of the purposes of human life and the nature of human happiness will be buried by more immediate demand for happiness, fulfillment, and mental tranquility.

How nice to have someone in authority to make sure the rest of us are happy.

Link from Noodlefood.

Comments

[supergee.livejournal.com]

Dr. Pellegrino, like Leon Kass, is obviously the crown of creation and it would be blasphemous folly to try to improve upon him.

[holzman.livejournal.com]

I've been telling leftists that they should be grateful for such pathetic vestiges of libertarianism as existed in the current Administration, notably that only federally funded stem cell research was banned. Maybe they'll miss it when it's gone.

One is not grateful to a mugger that they didn't also kill you. Relieved, perhaps, but not grateful.

[nancylebov.livejournal.com]

"Grateful" might not be the right word, but I want some way of recognizing that sometimes bad people still recognize some bonds of civilization.

Frex, before 9/11, it seemed notable to me that terrorists weren't going for the maximum body count.