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*A small group of genetic engineers is making a fundamental moral decision for the American people ... on their own.

Five scientists are proposing to insert new genes into human fetuses; these genes can spread, in a few generations, to a large part of the U.S. population. The Catholic Church, the United Methodist Church, and many other churches, have taken strong moral stands against this plan. (Jaydee Hansen. United Methodist Church: 202.488.5600 )

* The scientific referral committee (Recombinant-DNA Advisory Committee) set up to protect Americans from risky and unethical genetic research is chaired by a scientist who has already decided in favor of the unethical genetic research ... before hearing public arguments.

(Dr. Claudia Mickelson, chair of RAC. Source: David King, British RAC, 11/28/1998)

* America is completely unprotected from unethical human genetic engineering, but Europe is protected.

22 European states that signed Council of Europe convention on bioethics.

(Reference: Nature2. www.nature.com/Nature2/serve?SID=-7210294&CAT+News&PG=19980326/news002.html)

* There is no U.S. legislation restricting human genetic engineering.

The RAC is advisory to the NIH and is holding hearings on this matter, but the FDA has asserted responsibility for all medical procedures involving injections into a fetus.

* Another Nobel Scientist makes outrageous public statements. James Watson, who won a Nobel laureate for describing the structure of DNA, said the following: "If we could make better human beings by knowing how to add genes, why shouldn't we do it?"(source: www.ess.ucla.edu: 80/huge/report.html)

Earlier Nobel Laureates: William Shockley publicly decried the mental inferiority of Negroes and Linus Pauling forced three NIH studies of vitamin C at a cost of $8 million with negative findings in each study, which Pauling always rejected.

* A risky research procedure has had disappointing effects on children, so the researcher now proposes higher risk research on fetuses.

The proposal for the first genetically engineered human is based on in utero DNA changes for a medical condition known as ADA-deficient SCID. The proposal is being made by W. French Anderson whose similar work on children with this condition (bubble babies) has never been effective for more than a few weeks. (Nature, 30 April 1998, pp. 25-30 "Human Gene Therapy")

Technical background: Stuart Newman MD (New York University Medical School, 212.263.6347)