tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10381465.post4240918126550959721..comments2007-09-22T08:17:34.309-07:00Wesley J. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00087063614354714652wjs@wesleyjsmith.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10381465.post-19285856425981831362007-09-22T08:17:00.000-07:002007-09-22T08:17:00.000-07:00I believe so.Wesley J. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00087063614354714652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10381465.post-10993228108084076462007-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:002007-09-22T08:16:00.000-07:00Mr. Smith,<BR/><BR/>I understand your distinction, and agree with you.<BR/><BR/>On another note, what happened to Washington's cloning bill, SB 5594? Per Washington's legislative website it looks like it died in committee. Is that your understanding as well?<BR/><BR/>JasonJason Dullehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16840891072959191210noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10381465.post-16711947913540401372007-09-21T09:42:00.000-07:002007-09-21T09:42:00.000-07:00You are referencing the moral debate. The political debate is elsewhere, which is what I was addressing. Like it or not, there are no proposals to outlaw the research altogether anywhere in this country, as far as I am aware. (I think a few states may prohibit, but the argument "they are going to be destroyed anyway," carried the day throughout the country and even among many who describe themselves as pro life, when it came to ESCR. People still oppose creating embryos for research, whether via fertilization or SCNT.)<BR/><BR/>My moral position is that no human life should be used instrumentally. But one must contest the political debate where it is, not where one might wish it were.<BR/><BR/>Thanks for writing.Wesley J. Smithhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00087063614354714652noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10381465.post-56137869767204890782007-09-21T09:27:00.000-07:002007-09-21T09:27:00.000-07:00Mr. Smith,<BR/><BR/>You wrote, "The ESCR debate is not about whether it should or should not be permitted. Rather...the fight is about President Bush's restrictions on federal funding. ... Besides, the real crux of the issue isn't ESCR per se, but rather, whether we should permit human cloning."<BR/><BR/>What do you mean when you say the debate is not whether ESCR should be permitted? The debate is about the morality of destroying human embryos. If embryos are members of the human community, they should not be killed. So whether we permit ESCR is the heart of the debate. Cloning is a related, but separate issue.<BR/><BR/>It also sounds like you are ceding a loss in the ESCR debate, and shifting the focus to cloning. <BR/><BR/>Please tell me I am misunderstanding you.<BR/><BR/>JasonJason Dullehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16840891072959191210noreply@blogger.com