World Family Policy Center Newsletter
*News relative to
protecting the family worldwide*
Volume 7 Issue 146 - April
11, 2007
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
Quote of the
Day:
"Courage is the first of the virtues, because
it makes all others
possible."
—Aristotle
* * * * * * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* * * * * * *
Today’s Contents:
A. Featured Scholars: Breivik, Kyrrel; Olweus, Dan
B. Featured News Articles
1. Another 'Adult' Stem
Cell Success Reported Ahead of Senate Debate
Related Article: White House backs
stem-cell bill
2. Bill approved to
recommend, not require, cervical cancer vaccine
3. Will 'Hoosier Values'
Drive People Away?
4. Federal Human-Cloning
Ban Reintroduced
Related Article: Sen. DeMint, others say
human cloning crosses ethical
line
5. Fairy Tale Weddings opened to gay
couples
6. Idaho Law Gives Abortion-Minded
Women More Information
C. Coming Events
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FEATURED
SCHOLARS
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Authors:
Breivik, Kyrrel; Olweus, Dan
Author Affiliation:
Research Center for Health Promotion, University of Bergen, Norway
Children
of divorce in a Scandinavian welfare state: Are they less affected than US
children?
Source:
Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, Volume 47, Number 1, February 2006, pp.
61-74(14) ISSN: 0035-5564
Publication Type: Comparative Study; Journal Article
Document Type: Journal [Peer reviewed]
Abstract:
A fairly common view holds that
children's risks of negative outcomes associated with family dissolution are
generally small or even nonexistent in Scandinavia, and clearly smaller than
what is usually found in the United States. This view was empirically examined
in a recent large-scale study of 4,127 12–15-year-old children in Norway, of
whom 623 had experienced parental divorce and lived in a single-mother family.
The somewhat paradoxical pattern of findings was as follows: (a) The negative
associations between parental divorce and various outcomes were found to be
generally very similar in Norway and the United States in spite of the great
differences in family policy and welfare benefits for single mothers (at the
macro level); and (b) Mediational effects of family economic resources were in
both countries most marked for the academic achievement area, and the
predictive power of such variables was quite similar, again in spite of the
great differences in absolute level of the economic resources available to
single-mother families in the two countries. The results cast some doubt on the
value of the absolute economic deprivation perspective in explaining the
results, and the many Norwegian welfare benefits do not seem to mitigate the
association between divorce and negative outcomes for the children involved.
Also policy implications derived from the economic deprivation perspective are
questioned. Alternative interpretations of the findings involving relative
deprivation and economic resources as a partial proxy for other non-economic
factors are briefly discussed.
To purchase the
entire article:
http://www.blackwell-synergy.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1467-9450.2006.00493.x?cookieSet=1
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
FEATURED
NEWS ARTICLES
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
1. Another 'Adult' Stem Cell Success
Reported Ahead of Senate Debate
By Patrick Goodenough
CNSNews.com
BBC broadcast (see link below)
April 4, 2007
A week before the U.S. Senate again grapples with the
explosive issue of embryonic stem cell research, one of the most stunning
reported advances in bio-technology in years comes from stem cells not
harvested from human embryos but derived from a non-controversial source.
British researchers have for the first time grown part
of a human heart, using "adult" stem cells derived from bone marrow,
British media reported this week.
If trials in animals such as pigs and sheep prove
successful later this year, the London-based team led by professor Sir Magdi
Yacoub said such replacement tissue could be used in transplants for heart
disease patients within three years.
Yacoub, professor of cardiac surgery at Imperial
College, told The Guardian newspaper that a whole, functioning heart could be
produced from stem cells within a decade, a goal he described as
"ambitious ... but not impossible."
The researchers hope to grow a heart valve that will
not be rejected by the patient's body - because the stem cells are the
patient's own - and that will have a longer life than artificial (plastic or
metal) valves currently being used in heart patients.
Using the tissue could ultimately preclude the need
for a heart transplant, they said.
The researchers' achievements are due to be published
in August in the Royal Society's Philosophical Transactions journal, in a
special edition on "Bioengineering the Heart."
To read entire article:
http://www.cnsnews.com/ViewNation.asp?Page=/Nation/archive/200704/NAT20070404a.html
BBC broadcast report:
http://search.bbc.co.uk/cgi-bin/search/results.pl?tab=all&go=homepage&q=stem+cell+human+heart&Search.x=29&Search.y=11&Search=Search&scope=all
..............................
Related Article: White House backs
stem-cell bill
By Gregory Lopes
THE WASHINGTON TIMES
April 6, 2007
The White House yesterday signaled support for
legislation that provides federal funding for stem-cell research using
embryonic cells that have no chance of surviving.
The legislation, authored by Sen. Johnny Isakson,
Georgia Republican, seeks a middle ground in the highly charged debate over
stem-cell research. His bill skirts moral concerns over using embryonic stem
cells while ensuring federal funding for the breakthrough science.
Mr. Isakson's bill would allow scientists to conduct
research on embryos they determine are incapable of surviving in the womb but
whose stem cells are still viable for research. The bill would also allow
funding for research on stem cells from embryos that have died during fertility
treatments.
"This legislation threads the ethical
needle," Mr. Isakson said yesterday. "I'm very optimistic it will be
looked on favorably, especially with the White House's endorsement."
To read entire article:
http://www.washtimes.com/business/20070405-105916-1167r.htm
...............................
2. Bill approved to recommend, not
require, cervical cancer vaccine
By DAVID ROYSE
Palm Beach Post
April 4, 2007
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. — The state would recommend — but
not require — vaccinating middle school girls against a virus linked to
cervical cancer, and distribute information about it through the school system,
under an amended bill approved Wednesday by a House panel.
The House Schools and Learning Council rejected a
stronger proposal that would have required families to decide one way or the
other after receiving the information about human papillomavirus: Either have
their daughters vaccinated to be able to enroll in the seventh grade, or sign a
paper saying they don't want the vaccine.
HPV is sexually transmitted, so to be most effective
the vaccine has to be given to girls before they become sexually active.
Doctors say it can virtually eliminate the 70 percent of cervical cancer cases
that are caused by the virus.
Under the bill approved Wednesday, the state would
recommend that girls get the vaccine and would provide information about the
HPV vaccine to the families of girls entering the sixth grade starting in 2008.
Nothing in the amended bill requires families to do anything once they've
received the information, nor does it have a mechanism for making sure they
actually get it — the bill doesn't specify whether schools are to mail the
information to parents, send it home with students or communicate it in some
other way.
The vote came after several members of the committee
said there wasn't enough information yet about the long-term effects of the
relatively new vaccine to vote for the stronger bill that would have required
families to sign a waiver if they didn't want their daughters to receive it.
Some opponents also said that because the vaccine is
for a sexually transmitted disease, whether to have a girl vaccinated is a
decision for her family, not the government.
Rep. Trey Traviesa, R-Tampa, said that if "the
long arm of government" determines when a family must decide whether to
have a child vaccinated, that it is a "heavy-handed, premature
approach."
"This is something that is entirely the domain of
parents," said Traviesa, the sponsor of the amendment that ultimately was
approved.
To read entire article:
http://www.palmbeachpost.com/state/content/gen/ap/FL_XGR_Cervical_Cancer_Vaccine.html
..................................
3. Will 'Hoosier Values' Drive People
Away?
by Jennifer Mesko,
CitizenLink
March 29, 2007
Eli Lilly says marriage amendment would brand Indiana
as "intolerant."
"Hoosier values" are under fire in Indiana,
and Eli Lilly is the latest combatant.
On Wednesday, the pharmaceutical giant became the
state's fourth major company to oppose the proposed marriage amendment, which
would define marriage as between one man and one woman.
In a letter to Gov. Mitch Daniels, Lilly claimed the
amendment would brand the state as intolerant and could jeopardize
domestic-partner benefits.
"I can't believe a company with the stature of
Lilly and their enormous legal resources would take a corporate position like
this without any specific legal reasoning to back it up," Republican Sen.
Brandt Hershman, the amendment's author, told The Indianapolis Star.
Carla Cox, a spokeswoman for Eli Lilly and Co., said
the amendment would have a negative impact on the firm.
"It would mainly be around recruiting and
retention of employees," she said. "We have employees who are telling
us they would leave the company."
Ryan McCann, director of operations and public policy
at the Indiana Family Institute (IFI), said he doesn't share Lilly's concerns.
"Their reasoning was a little lacking," he
said.
The proposed amendment passed in 2005, but must pass a
second time before going to voters as early as November 2008. The Senate
approved the amendment earlier this year, and it awaits a vote in a House
committee. IFI and other family advocates testified before the committee last
week; so did those who oppose the amendment, including manufacturer Cummins and
Indianapolis insurer WellPoint. McCann said the opposition's evidence was
lacking.
"They didn't really have any proof at all that
this would affect their recruiting practices," he said. "It was
really kind of sad they were so unprepared."
The House Rules and Legislative Procedures Committee will
hold its second hearing Tuesday on the amendment. The deadline for the
committee to vote is Thursday, April 5.
To read entire article:
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLtopstories/A000004254.cfm
...................
4. Federal Human-Cloning Ban Reintroduced
CitizenLink
March 30, 2007
Sens. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., and Mary Landrieu, D-La.,
reintroduced a bill Thursday to ban all human cloning.
Wendy Wright, president of Concerned Women for
America, says cloning supporters often hide behind euphemisms.
“Scientists and advocates recognize that most people
don’t want human cloning so they simply come up with new names for it like
‘somatic cell nuclear transfer,’ " she told Family News in Focus.
"The intent of that is to confuse people.”
The Human Cloning Prohibition Act would eliminate the
practice no matter what its called. Carrie Gordon Earll, senior analyst for
bioethics at Focus on the Family Action, said the measure would protect
innocent life and keep the best interest of women in mind.
"The only way that you can do human cloning is to
have women’s eggs," she explained. “In order to get those eggs, women must
be subjected to over-stimulation of their ovaries and the harvesting of eggs,
and that can be a dangerous procedure for women.”
To read entire article:
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004263.cfm
Related Article: Sen. DeMint, others say
human cloning crosses ethical line
Jim Brown and Jody Brown
OneNewsNow.com
March 31, 2007
Dismayed that states like Iowa and Missouri have
approved human cloning, some U.S. senators are once again seeking to ban the
practice, calling for it to be criminalized.
Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Mary Landrieu
(D-Louisiana) have reintroduced the Human Cloning Prohibition Act. The bill,
which has 28 co-sponsors, would prohibit the performance or participation in
"somatic cell nuclear transfer," the process by which a human clone
is created. Under the bill, parties involved in cloning a human being could
face up to ten years in prison and civil fines of at least $1 million.
At a Capitol Hill press conference on Thursday,
Brownback referred to human cloning "an affront to the most basic level of
respect for human life and dignity" and stressed that the cloning ban
recognizes the "inherent dignity" of every human being regardless of
how they are created.
"We are all for cures, and everybody is for cures
of ailments that are affecting human society, that are affecting people in this
country and around the world," Brownback said. "But in so doing, we
should not turn people into property; we should not turn the human species into
commodities and spare parts."
The Kansas lawmaker also noted that proponents of
embryonic stem-cell research measures often inaccurately portray them as a
human cloning bans.
Landrieu explained why she, Brownback, and other
lawmakers in Washington, DC, are concerned about the human cloning fad.
"Human cloning is like an unmarked and unchecked
interstate system, with researchers racing as fast as they can with few
restrictions," she stated. She and Brownback, she shared, have come to the
same conclusion after years of working together on the issue: "Creating
human life simply for the purpose of destroying it through experimentation is
immoral, unethical, and should be illegal."
To read entire article:
http://www.onenewsnow.com/2007/03/sen_demint_others_say_human_cl.php
.......................
5. Fairy Tale Weddings opened to gay
couples
MSNBC
April 6, 2007
Los Angeles - The Walt Disney Co. has changed its
policy to allow same-sex couples to participate in a popular Fairy Tale Wedding
program it runs mainly at its two U.S. resorts and cruise line, a Disney
spokesman said on Thursday.
Disney previously allowed gay couples to organize
their own weddings or commitment ceremonies at rented meeting rooms at the
resorts, but had barred them from purchasing its Fairy Tale Wedding package and
holding the event at locations at Disneyland and Walt Disney World set aside
specifically for weddings.
"We are updating our Fairy Tale Wedding
guidelines to include commitment ceremonies," Disney Parks and Resorts
spokesman Donn Walker said. "This is consistent with our policy of
creating a welcoming, respectful and inclusive environment for all of our
guests."
Walker said the change was prompted by "an
inquiry from a guest that asked about this service."
Disney had allowed gay couples to take part in its vow
renewals program but excluded them from buying wedding packages by requiring a
valid marriage license from California or Florida, which do not permit or
recognize gay marriages. . . .
Disney has come under fire from religious
conservatives, including the Southern Baptist Convention, who have accused the
company of promoting a gay agenda.
To read entire article:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/17972793/
..........................
6. Idaho Law Gives Abortion-Minded Women
More Information
CitizenLink
April 9, 2007
Women would be offered chance to view ultrasound
images.
Idaho recently became the ninth state to order doctors
to provide abortion-minded women ultrasound images of their preborn child
before having the procedure.
The state law, signed by Gov. Butch Otter on March 27,
ensures that women have access to as much information about their preborn baby
as possible. Experts say providing women with an ultrasound image of their
child makes following through with an abortion much less likely.
Bryan Fischer, executive director of the Idaho Values
Alliance, explained that the mandate is an amendment to the state’s
parental-consent law.
“We think that’s very important medical information
for every woman to have in that situation," he said. "Fortunately,
our Legislature agreed, and the governor signed it into law.”
As with most abortion-limiting legislation, a court
challenge is a possibility. But pro-life groups that assisted in drafting the
legislation considered laws passed in eight other states, all of which have
withstood legal tests.
To read entire article:
http://www.citizenlink.org/CLNews/A000004327.cfm
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
COMING
EVENTS
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
WORLD
CONGRESS OF FAMILIES IV
Warsaw,
Poland - May 11-13, 2007
Meeting in
Rockford, Illinois (October 23-25, 2005), a planning committee of the World
Congress of Families chose Warsaw, Poland as the site of the 4th World
Congress. The Warsaw Congress will be held May 11-13, 2007 in the Palace of
Culture and Science.
The Polish
Federation of Pro-Life Movements, an organization with over 130 affiliates
throughout the nation, will serve as the local host for WCF IV.
The Congress theme
will be “The Natural Family: Springtime for Europe and the World.” Sub-themes will include:
1. We Will Renew Cultures of Marriage
2. We Will Celebrate More Babies and
Larger Families
3. We Will Nurture Free, Vital, and
Productive Homes.
For more
information: Error! Hyperlink reference not valid.
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Note: The Featured
Articles excerpts are highlights of current events and
do not necessarily
represent the views of the World Family Policy Center
or Brigham Young
University.
* * * *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Newsletter created
and distributed by:
World Family Policy
Center (www.worldfamilypolicy.org)
J. Reuben Clark Law
School
Brigham Young
University
Acting Managing
Director: A. Scott Loveless
Newsletter
Editors: Joy S. Lundberg and Gary B.
Lundberg
If you have any
articles, editorials, or papers you would like
circulated through
the WFPC News network, you may submit them to
lundberg@lawgate.byu.edu
If you do not wish
to receive a copy of WFPC News you may unsubscribe
by sending an email
to listserv@listserv.byu.edu. The subject should be
left blank and the
body should read, "unsubscribe wfpc-news".