Email Alert, June 28, 2002

OPPOSE SB 1230—A CLONE AND KILL BILL

 (June 2002)

SB 1230-- Bans so-called "reproductive cloning," BUT allows cloning human beings for research and destruction, euphemistically referred to as "therapeutic cloning."

           As with the current California moratorium that expires at the end of this year, SB 1230 actually allows the cloning of human embryos.  It simply does not allow those human embryos to be sustained by implantation in a woman’s womb.  As a result SB 1230 actually requires the death of every cloned human embryo. 

            SB 1230 attempts to make a distinction between so-called “reproductive cloning and “therapeutic” cloning, but in reality, all cloning is reproductive.  The process is the same whether for research or for live birth, and results in the creation of whole human embryos.  The only distinction is that one is created to be brought to full term, the other is created to be grown to at least 5 days, maybe much older, so that their precious stem cells or other parts may be harvested for research.  Unfortunately their donation is without consent and fatal.

            SB 1230 also establishes another committee to advise the Legislature on human cloning.  The last 12-member committee commissioned by this Legislature on human cloning had NOT one member who expressed a moral reservation about the cloning of a human being for the mere purpose of research and destruction.  We have no confidence that a new committee would appropriately acknowledge respect for the lives of the tiniest members of the human family.    

            We expect that an attempt will be made to amend SB 1230 into a true ban on human cloning, as Senator Ray Haynes attempted in the Senate.  President Bush, in appealing to the U.S. Senate to pass a ban on human cloning (which is currently stalled), said, “I believe all human cloning is wrong, and both forms of cloning ought to be banned . . . anything other than a total ban on human cloning would be unethical.  Research cloning would contradict the most fundamental principle of medical ethics, that no human life should be exploited or extinguished for the benefit of another.”

Call, FAX or e-mail your own Assembly Member and ask him to oppose SB 1230 unless it is amended into a complete ban on human cloning.  Phone calls or faxes will receive more attention than e-mails.  If you use e-mail, state your opposition in the subject line—e.g. "Oppose SB 1230-- cloning humans for research."