Wesley J. Smith

A radio interview I gave back in 2004 about euphemisms, confusion, and animal rights on the splendid, but now lamentably defunct radio program Issues Etc., was just posted on-line over at Wittenberg Media blog.I get a bit excited about some scientists not knowing what they are talking about when it . . . . Continue Reading »

Geron Corporation has released a series of press releases over several years stating that “next year” it would start the first human trials using ES cells. Apparently, that won’t be happening yet. From the story: The F.D.A. convened a meeting April 10 of expert advisers who . . . . Continue Reading »

Ah, the days when “choice” seemed to be the end all and be all of bioethics. You say you want your profoundly disabled spouse’s feeding tube pulled so he dies slowly by dehydration? Choice! You say you want assisted suicide? Choice! You say you want your life extended with . . . . Continue Reading »

I have a piece up on today’s First Things daily about assisted suicide and how it corrupts palliative care. From my column: For the past two decades, euthanasia/assisted-suicide ideologues have worked overtime to conflate palliative care—the medical alleviation of pain and other . . . . Continue Reading »

I just read a ridiculous screed by Steven Pinker in the New Republic that is beyond ludicrous. His primary purpose seems to be to attack Leon Kass, who agree or disagree with him, is a very serious thinker. A secondary point seems to be that the President’s Council on Bioethics is pushing a . . . . Continue Reading »

Recent events have me recalling the best and most succinct description of why we are slowly succumbing to the culture of death. They are from Canadian journalist and commentator, Andrew Coyne, who, reacting to the widespread public support for Robert Latimer, who murdered his daughter Traci because . . . . Continue Reading »

We keep hearing that the Oregon law is working without a flaw. The media touts that party line in almost every story about the issue. Of course to do that, contrary information has to be ignored. For example, the Michael Freeland case (reported in the American Journal of Psychiatry) in which a man . . . . Continue Reading »

What happened when Swiss wildflowers learned they had the right not to be . . . . Continue Reading »

A survey of the victims, er ah, the patients served by the NHS in the UK reveals that they know very well how bad things have become. From the story: A big variation in the performance of NHS trusts across England is revealed today in the health inspectorate’s annual survey of patients’ . . . . Continue Reading »

The story of the first supposedly genetically altered human embryo is making headlines around the world. From the story:The study appears to be the first report of genetically modifying a human embryo. It was presented last fall at a meeting of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, but . . . . Continue Reading »