----- Original Message -----
From: Glauber, Steve S.
February 19, 2002
CONTROVERSIAL ETHICIST SAYS EXPERIMENT
ON MEN, NOT BEASTS - WEDNESDAY ON "60 MINUTES II"
Philosopher Peter Singer is known throughout the world for his
controversial belief that all life is not equally precious. In fact,
Singer tells correspondent Dan Rather that it may be ethical to
kill handicapped babies and argues that the lives of animals are
not inferior to the lives of humans. Rather's report on Princeton
University's controversial ethicist will be broadcast on
60 MINUTES II, Wednesday, Feb. 20 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on
the CBS Television Network.
Although many consider Singer's views on medical
research immoral, he maintains that his views are simply
unconventional and explains to Rather why he thinks that in
certain situations it may be better to conduct dangerous
experiments on certain humans as opposed to animals. ".I think
there, perhaps, are some things which could be done with people
who are no longer conscious at all and will never recover
consciousness," says Singer "It would be ethically justifiable to
approach the relatives and to say, 'Look, we want to find out
whether certain drugs produce adverse reactions in human beings.
Do you have any objections to doing this test on your relative who
can no longer suffer from it because he or she can no longer feel
anything at all?'.Without consciousness, human life has dropped
to a level, in fact, below that of a chimpanzee or a dog."
Singer's ethical views about ending life aren't just words
scribbled on a college blackboard -- they have real world application.
In fact, Singer agrees with Diane Arnder's decision to fight an
advocacy group in court for the right to end the life of her 29-year-old
daughter who was suffering from cerebral palsy, severe mental
retardation and seizures. "People have to understand you can
only do so much to keep a person here and then, after that, it's
time for God to intervene.or somebody to intervene and say, 'Hey,
it's time to let go,'" says Arnder.
But Steve Drake, a spokesman for Not Dead Yet, the disabled
person's advocacy group that asked a judge to intervene in Arnder's
case, disagrees -- he himself survived a childhood brain disorder.
"It is dressed up nicely, it is spoken in very polite tones by a very
polite person, but what [Singer] is really saying is that some
people's lives are not worth living -- are not worth it for us, as a
society, to put up with -- is not worth families having kids with
disabilities," says Drake.
Jeff Fager is the executive producer of 60 MINUTES II
and Steve Glauber and Christopher Marin are the producers.
* * *
Press Contact: Kelli Edwards (N.Y.) 212/975-6795 or
[log in to unmask]
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