 |
Medical Research in Nebraska |
|
 |
||
|
Medical Research in Nebraska |
|
|
||
|
|
THE STATUS OF UNETHICAL MEDICAL RESEARCH IN NEBRASKA NOVEMBER, 2005 HISTORY In November, 1999, the Omaha World Herald revealed that the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) had been conducting medical research using the brain cells of aborted babies. This research is being done by Dr. Howard Gendelman who came to Nebraska from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore. The aborted baby research ostensibly seeks break-throughs in treatments for Parkinsons, Alzhiemers and AIDS. Nebraska’s elected officials and even the University Board of Regents claimed to have had no prior knowledge that this immoral and unethical use of aborted babies was occurring at UNMC. In fact, UNMC admitted that it had been conducting this research ever since 1993. LEGISLATIVE BACKGROUND In light of the shocking revelation of what UNMC was doing; pro-life Nebraskans spoke out against the research in front of the Board of Regents and the Legislature. The Board of Regents affirmed the conduct of UNMC with a unanimous vote in favor of it during its December, 1999 meeting. The 2000 session of the Nebraska Legislature brought the introduction of the first of several bills to ban aborted fetal tissue research. All of the attempts to ban such research failed to pass due to the need to invoke cloture (end Senator Ernie Chambers’ filibuster) and keep 33 senators together at all times to vote for the ban. Subsequent bills to ban destructive embryonic stem cell research (ESCR) and cloning for reproductive and research purposes have met a similar fate. While there are a majority of pro-life senators in the Nebraska Unicameral, our opponents have been able to peel away a small number of our supporters in order to keep us from attaining 33 votes to pass a ban on unethical research. UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA (UNMC’S) POSITION UNMC has always opposed our efforts to enact a ban on aborted fetal tissue research; claiming that the research did not contribute to an increase in the number of abortions. Early in the fetal tissue debate at the Legislature; our opponents maintained that they were not interested in venturing further into the area of morally-questionable research. Former NU President Dennis Smith created the Nebraska Bio-Ethics Advisory Committee which was supposedly going to wrestle with the dilemmas created by unethical research. The Bio-Ethics Advisory Committee was basically a rubber stamp for the University’s position and took the heat off of the Board of Regents. The Advisory Committee in May, 2001 even passed a resolution supporting the expansion of UNMC into destructive embryonic stem cell research. Their action was re-affirmed by the Board of Regents in September, 2001 when that body passed a resolution in support of the Advisory Committee’s guidelines on ESCR. UNMC has since maintained that it has no desire to go beyond President George Bush’s August, 2001 decision allowing the use of federal funds to conduct research on 60 past embryonic stem cell lines. FAST FORWARD TO MARCH, 2005 AND UNMC’S NEW POSITION At the Legislature’s Judiciary Committee hearing on March 10, 2005; three bills were heard regarding cloning. LB’s 437 and 750 are legitimate bans on cloning for reproductive and research purposes. LB 580 is a “bogus” ban which would only ban cloning for reproduction but would allow cloning for research. The pro-life community came to the hearing to support both LB’s 437 & 750 and to oppose LB 580. UNMC, in 2003, had taken no position on an earlier legitimate cloning ban, LB 602. However, on March 10, 2005, UNMC came before the Judiciary Committee with four representatives who each testified that UNMC’s official position now was to oppose the legitimate cloning bans, LB’s 437 & 750. WHAT DOES THIS MEAN? In other words, from 2000 to 2005, UNMC has made a sea change in its position on unethical research. Where they once claimed to only want to be left to conduct aborted fetal tissue research; they now have moved to a blatant position in favor of cloning for research…that is a position which embraces creating new human life for the express purpose of killing that life for research. HOW SHOULD THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT IN NEBRASKA RESPOND TO THIS? Should pro-life citizens of Nebraska stand back as UNMC boldly goes forward with their agenda to expand upon unethical research? What is the point of a pro-life movement if this brand new assault on human life is not countered? Can we even say that we are pro-life if we turn a blind eye to the desire of biomedical researchers to play God in the laboratory? Ever since UNMC was discovered to be experimenting on aborted babies; Nebraska Right to Life has stood firm in its desire to stop unethical research. We now call upon Nebraska’s citizens to band together in an effort to pass a ban on cloning. ACTION NEEDED: STATE LEGISLATURE Circulate the petition to ask the Legislature to pass a ban on cloning in the 2006 session. Photocopy or request more petitions from Nebraska Right to Life. You can also request pre-printed postcards from Nebraska Right to Life which allow you to sign your name and mail in to your state senator. Contact your state senator now and when the legislative session begins January 4, 2006. Ask him/her to support LB’s 437 & 750 being voted out of Judiciary Committee and onto the floor of the Legislature for full debate. If your senator is pro-life, ask him/her if they will consider naming either LB 437 or LB 750 as their “priority bill”, which would guarantee that bill floor debate and up or down votes. Ask your senator to vote for cloture to stop the filibuster of cloning bans by senators who are not pro-life. State Senator Contact Info: If you do not know who your state senator is, call the Clerk of the Legislature at: 1-800-742-7456 outside Lincoln or 402-471-2709. Or go to the Unicameral website at www.unicam.state.ne.us. You can also call the Nebraska Right to Life office at 402-438-4802.Mail to Capitol Office: Senator________________________ State Capitol, P.O. Box 94604 Lincoln, Ne. 68509-4604
BOARD OF REGENTS Write the University Regent in your district and tell of your support to ban unethical research; ESCR & cloning. At this time there is no effort in front of the Board of Regents to address this issue. The only legislation is before the Legislature but your Regent should also know that you oppose UNMC’s venturing into further unethical research. To find out who your Regent is and how to contact him, call Nebraska Right to Life at 402-438-4802 or go to the Regents’ website at:
OTHER ACTION YOU CAN TAKE Watch in your community for announcements of presentations by UNMC, Nebraskans for Research or Bio Nebraska. The first two entities are on record opposing pro-life efforts to ban cloning. The last entity, newly formed in the summer of 2005, is tied to the national BIO organization which lobbies for unethical research at the federal level. All of the above entities have representatives on their boards from UNMC who support unethical research. Most of these presentations are advertised in advance in your local paper. They may be held during the regular meeting of your community’s service clubs. As a pro-life citizen in your community you can attend such presentations; take notes and pose questions to the presenters. Do not let the pro-life voice go unheard in your community when it comes to immoral research. Write letters to the editor of your local paper and to the Omaha World Herald, 1334 Dodge St., Omaha, Ne. 68102 and Lincoln Journal Star, 926 “P” St., Lincoln, Ne. 68501. FOR MORE INFORMATION ON UNETHICAL RESEARCH AND ABOUT OTHER FORMS OF RESEARCH THAT THE PRO-LIFE MOVEMENT SUPPORTS, GO TO:
|
