“Clone and kill” bill devaluates human life, says California pro-family group

Sacramento, Calif., Nov 3, 2004 / 22:00 pm

Following California voters’ approval of Proposition 71, the embryonic stem cell research bond – dubbed the “clone and kill” bill – the Campaign for California Families have issued a statement condemning it as immoral and indicating that California voters were fooled into voting for it.

“Cloning and destroying human beings is immoral, no matter how young their development,” said Randy Thomasson, CCF's Executive Director. "Human beings have less value when we award some a license to clone and kill others.”

He pointed out that “Prop. 71 makes the people pay biotech companies an unprecedented $3 billion to engage in unethical human experimentation. Embryonic stem cell research goes against the time-honored medical ethics before Christ in the Hippocratic Oath and reaffirmed in the Nuremberg Code after Hitler's atrocities," he said.

“Despite years of trying,” added Thomasson, “there have been no medical successes from human embryonic stem cell research. Instead of discovering medical cures, the harvesting of human embryos for their stem cells has resulted in rejections, mutations and tumors. If we want to cure diseases, we should invest in adult and cord blood stem cell research, which doesn't harm anyone and to date has produced more than 74 medical breakthroughs."

Noting that backers of the bill outspent those opposed by a 100 to 1 ratio, Thomasson said that “Proposition 71 was a money grab by corporate interests,” and that "voters were snookered by millions of dollars in TV commercials that hid the truth and made empty promises.”

“Californians didn't know they were voting in favor of cloning and dissecting the youngest human beings, something the overwhelming majority of people find morally reprehensible," he said in conclusion.