Atlanta Journal-Constitution Editorial, Opinion Piece Comment On Georgia Embryo Rights Bill

Main Category: Women's Health / Gynecology
Also Included In: Fertility;  Abortion
Article Date: 12 Mar 2009 - 5:00 PDT

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The Atlanta Journal-Constitution on Tuesday published an editorial and opposing opinion piece about a Georgia bill (S.B. 169) that would grant personhood status to embryos and regulate the number of embryos that can be implanted during in vitro fertilization procedures. The state Senate Health and Human Services Committee approved the bill on Monday by a 7-6 vote. Summaries of the editorial and opposing opinion piece appear below.

~ Maureen Downey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: If Georgia's bill granting personhood to embryos becomes law, "it will halt the embryonic stem cell research" and "will so complicate legal questions around frozen embryos that it could drive in vitro fertilization clinics out of the state, forcing desperate Georgia couples to go out of state as well," Downey, a member of the Journal-Constitution's editorial board, writes. The "real intent" of the bill is "to outlaw abortion, a goal its proponents acknowledge," Downey writes, adding that "[w]hile stem cell research may potentially save many lives, those opponents argu[e] it deals a death blow to the embryo itself, which they see as an unconscionable trade-off." Downey continues that although opponents are "entitled to that belief, ... the conviction that pinpoint-sized cells have the same rights as children battling leukemia or teenagers paralyzed from a driving accident is a minority opinion, according to most national polls." According to Downey, Gov. Sonny Perdue (R) "has attempted to make Georgia a leader in life sciences and biomedicine," and the state is expecting 20,000 members of the biotech industry to attend the 2009 BIO International Convention in May. "Passage of S.B. 169 would undo those efforts to court the biomedical industry, end major research projects at Georgia universities and cast the state as an anti-science backwater," Downey writes (Downey, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/10).

~ Daniel Becker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution: It is "true medical science" that the "human embryo is one of us, fully human with great potential," Becker, president of Georgia Right to Life, writes in an opposing opinion piece. He adds that S.B. 169 "will ensure that Georgia taxpayers only fund ethical and fiscally responsible research into the future." Becker says that GRTL has "always supported adult stem cell research, which to date has 70 known cures to its credit." However, the group is opposed to human embryonic stem cell research "that requires the killing of human embryos," he writes, adding, "Our opponents seem to be far more committed to unbridled science than to human dignity and ethics." President Obama's removal of certain federal funding restrictions on embryonic stem cell research "places our society on a very steep and very slippery slope," Becker continues. "Since many researchers will not be content to use only so-called 'surplus' embryos, they will demand support for the creation and destruction of human embryos just for research, through human cloning and other methods," he writes, adding that "[w]e in Georgia are going to uphold the view that human beings are more precious than money, biotech conventions or economic development." Becker concludes that Obama "has sealed his confirmation as the 'abortion president' with his executive order Monday. We in Georgia, with the passing of S.B. 169, will seal our confirmation as pro-life people" (Becker, Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 3/10).

Reprinted with kind permission from http://www.nationalpartnership.org. You can view the entire Daily Women's Health Policy Report, search the archives, or sign up for email delivery here. The Daily Women's Health Policy Report is a free service of the National Partnership for Women & Families, published by The Advisory Board Company.

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