The momentum is growing in some quarters advocating for what is often called “rational suicide.” One of the first articles I saw about “rational suicide” was written some nine years ago by a former Hemlock Society activist and psychologist named James Werth, in the mental . . . . Continue Reading »
Geoffrey Fieger, Jack Kevorkian’s former lawyer who deserted the sinking ship just before it went down, has been indicted for conspiracy to violate campaign contribution laws in the 2004 election. I take no position on his guilt or innocence, of course. But one of the things that drove me to . . . . Continue Reading »
I often rag against the animal rights crowd that seek to reduce human moral worth by making it equivalent to that of animals. But sometimes those who oppose animal rights miss a huge point about human exceptionalism, too. Case in point: Ilana Mercer of World Net Daily.Mercer has written two columns . . . . Continue Reading »
Once again, the a weekly alternative paper comes in with a big story. This time from Phoenix, where the New Times, byline Paul Rubin, exposes the apparent assisted suicide of a mentally ill woman by members of an assisted suicide outfit called the Final Exit Network. FEN members are zealots who help . . . . Continue Reading »
The Associated Press has, miracle of miracles, reported accurately about the planned anti-cloning amendment that Missouri’s own media generally botched From the AP report (in the St. Louis Post Dispatch!) byline David A. Lieb:Without specifically repealing last year’s measure, the new . . . . Continue Reading »
I have long asserted that conducting ESCR and human cloning research is not intended, nor will it long remain, in the Petri dish. Rather, the real game is implantation and gestation into the late embryo and fetal stages, which would better permit disease studies, research into genetic engineering, . . . . Continue Reading »
Once again, a Missouri newspaper simply refuses to accurately report a story about human cloning research in MO. A group called Cures Without Cloning is attempting to bring an initiative to ban human somatic cell nuclear transfer in Missouri. From its press release, how the proposed initiative would . . . . Continue Reading »
Gary Francione has an essay out giving his preliminary reasons for opposing violence in the animal rights cause. He states in part:First, in my view, the animal rights position is the ultimate rejection of violence. It is the ultimate affirmation of peace. I see the animal rights movement as the . . . . Continue Reading »
I am no fan of anti-vivisection societies given that I believe medical research using animals is scientifically necessary and (usually) a profoundly humanitarian work, and these groups seek to end such activities. That being said, I do think they can provide a valuable contribution to society by . . . . Continue Reading »
With the Michael Vick guilty plea, I updated my earlier column on how his dog fighting activities violated our human duty to treat animals humanely for the San Francisco Chronicle. It is a little stronger on the human exceptionalism than the former column, and all in all I think, a somewhat better . . . . Continue Reading »