Wesley J. Smith

It was close, but close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades, as they say. Amendment 2 passed with about 51% of the vote. It’s hard to fight against $30 million. But the no campaign proved that people do not like cloning for any purpose, which is why the proponents deceived voters into . . . . Continue Reading »

I love this story in the New York Times that traces the fate of children born from Nazi Germany’s Lebensborn program, intended to breed a Master Race, and reports where they are today. Here’s a brief background: Back when the old scientific consensus supported eugenics, there were two . . . . Continue Reading »

First UK scientists wanted to create human/rabbit cloned embryos. Now, UK scientists are applying to create mostly human/tiny bit cow cloned embryos, revealing vividly the current anything goes mindset that permeates the science/biotech sector. Rather than allowing society to work through the ethics . . . . Continue Reading »

So, I am watching CNN and it runs a segment on Missouri’s Amendment 2 and embryonic stem cell research. Then, Bill Schneider, CNN’s big political analyst comes on to say confidently that based on his discussions with people, second only to Iraq, the stem cell issue is most urgently on . . . . Continue Reading »

Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecology is calling for society to permit eugenic infanticide. The problem, according to these “ethicists” is that some very disabled babies survive. We can’t have that. “A very disabled child can mean a disabled family,” the report . . . . Continue Reading »

Robert Novak, the syndicated columnist, is also one of the best political reporters around. He is conservative, but calls them as he sees them. (For example, he predicts that the Republicans will lose their majority in the House of Representatives.) Novak’s current column sees trouble ahead . . . . Continue Reading »

John Derbyshire, the popular writer for National Review Online , recently published a "self-interview" disclosing how and why he lost his faith . Generally, I would not comment on such a personal matter or criticize anyone’s internal struggles. But Derbyshire went further than just . . . . Continue Reading »

This is growing wearisome;condemning those who may disagree with the science elite about certain policies as “anti-science.” Now, Prime Minister Tony Blair is doing it. Disagree with his view on GM foods: Anti-science! I have nothing against GM foods in principle, but is it anti-science . . . . Continue Reading »

In radio interviews and my writing, I have decried the power of Stowers money in promoting Amendment 2. Billionaire and altruistic endower of the Stowers Institute, a medical research facility, James Stowers has personally paid for almost all the initiative campaign’s $28 million dollar . . . . Continue Reading »

Thomas Sowell makes several good points about media bias in this NRO column. His assertions, at least as to the issues we deal with here at Secondhand Smoke, are very well taken. I have concluded that media are like a high school clique. They often seem to decide the story first and then fit the . . . . Continue Reading »