Page 4-Friday, July 28, 1978-The Michigan Daily
1 T"%
wmichigan DAILY
Eighty-eight Years of Editorial Freedom
420 Maynard St., Ann Arbor, MI. 48109
Vol. LXXXVIII, No. 53-S News Phone: 764-0552
Friday, July 28, 1978
Edited and managed by students
at the University of Michigan
The test-tube scare
T HE MEDIA has senationalized what is
basically no more than a useful scientific
technique - the test-tube baby process. Skeptics
and opponents have charged that the scientists
involved are playing God. It has been lumped in
a class with such "monster mania" experiments
as recombinant DNA research and cloning; it
does not belong there. It is possible that the
method could be abused, but the process itself is
not frightening.
The process by which a test-tube baby is
produced does not alter genes or create freaks.
The perspective mother is first injected with a
fertility drug, in order to develop a number of
follicles in the ovary ready to release an egg.
This in no way dimishes the ability of awoman to
have normal menstrual cycles, since at birth a
woman has several thousand eggs, and in the
course of a normal life-span only releases about
500. The sperm from the would-be father is then
collected, and the two eggs are brought together
in vitro (outside the woman's body) in a
nutrient medium.
When an egg is normally fertilized in the
fallopian tube of woman, it begins to divide until
it reaches a many celled stage called a
trophoblast. As it is dividing rapidly, the zygote
is also moving down the fallopian tube to the
uterus, .where it implants itself to the uterine
wall, beginning to exchange nutrients with the
mother.
With the in vitro fertilization, when the zygote
has reached the trophoblast stage it is placed in
the mother's uterus by the doctor, where it may
become implanted. In essence, the test-tube
baby process eliminates the long journey
through the fallopian tubes to the uterus. No
genetic manipulation is made. The sperm and
egg union is totally random, as it is normally. In
short, the process - by no means new to the
scientific world which has been using it for some
time to produce prize cows and for shipping
laboratory animals when applied to humans
enables a woman who has a blocked fallopiam
tube, a case where the egg once released from
the ovary cannot get to the uterus because of the
abnormal blockage, to achieve pregnancy by in
vitro fertilization.
The extent to which humans are "playing
God" in this situation is the same for any
medical process. Injecting polio into a human is
certainly not "normal," but no one will argue
that the polio vaccine has saved thousands of
lives. In fact, with it vitro fertilization there is no
tampering of chemicals or hormones than in
other treatments found in use medicinally today.
So the scare tactics employed by the oppinents
and by the media are unwarranted. It will be a
gross injustice if these methods succeed in
outlawing a simple technique that will enable
otherwise infertile 9nt to have children ;
1(4
By D
BUCHARE
group of fig
gaunt victims
Dostoevsky n
the imposing
club in downtt
of them - t
shouldered, w
down his n
pressed a han
into my hand
into the shado
"Dear Sir,
"We are a g
and we write
us quit this
country whi
people are no
the wind."
The manife
visitors he
Romanian di
the discrep
country's libe
ternational
domestic r
repression.
OUTSIDE
dent Nicho
widely adm
Moscow, eve
remains a m
saw Pact.
Romania als
munist cot
diplomatic re
But Ceausesc
have present
ministration
Eager t
Romania's p
ce with econ
Ceusescu wa
nation status
with the U
privilege that
to countries t
rights. For th
prevents Rom
leaving the co
probably the
emigrationp
Europe. Ceau
strict politic
equally harsh
on Romania's
Should Pres
cern with hu
strategic c
American rela
prevail in
relations? It
of only abstr.
Washington,
Romaniansi
sometimes lit
death.
THE MAN
manifesto - P
year-old lathe
into a park
personal orde
me with stic
legs, the am
said. "They
long and. Ii
trouble. I lose
plied for aspas
my father ma
with his pensir
The experit
Romanians w
system enforc
tralized contro
internal inte
known as the
.the Secwitate
omanian dissidents:
lost in the shuffle
onald Kirk from organizing any serious net- creased from $322 million in 1975
from organizing any serious to $492.7 million last year. This
ST, Romania - A threat to Ceausescu. year, American economists
ures looking like If they try to leave the country, predict, the figure will reach $600
of oppression in a the dissidents again experience million.
ovelstood in front of Ceausescu's power. While DOMESTIC WORKERS,
military officers' Romanian officials say they however, are considered as im-
own Bucharest. One routinely grant passports and portant as trade in Romania. Of-
all, a trifle stoop exit visas to anyone who wants ficials note that the population is
ith hair streaming them - an impression they are rising by less than 1 per cent a
eck - furtively anxious to spread to win most- year, and they complain they do
idwritten manifesto favored-nation status- applican- not have the manpower for new
and then retreated ts repeatedly have been rejected. industries - or even farms, from
ws. "Yes, we have the right at the which the young have migrated
the note began. passport, but it is only in the to the cities. As a result, the
roup of seven men, papers,"'said Sergiu lomita, 20, government has outlawed abor-
you praying to help who was with Negreanu. "When tions, made divorce an arduous
country forever, a we apple, we say, 'This is our ordeal and offered bonuses to
ere the rights of right.' But they say, 'You haven't mothers with more than two
thing but blowing in this right.' We don't know what is children.
policy and what is not." The emphasis on economic ex-
sto, typical of those THE WHITE House has asked pansion has created a growing
re receive from Congress to extend for three discontent among workers. The
ssidents, illustrates more years the U.S.-Romania government puts a third of its
ancy between the trade agreement signed by national income back into in-
ral reputation in he Ceausescu and President Ford in dustrial development without in-
affairs and the 1975. President Carter also has creasing wages or offering low-
requested another one-year priced consumer goods to the
waiver of the amendment to the masses. Per capita income
ROMANIA, Presi- U.S. Trade Act that makes free estimates range from $1,200 to
ae .Ceausescu is emigration policies a $2,000 a year. The result is that
fired for defying requirement for most-favored- Romanians, like Russians, are
n though Romania nation status. forever waiting in line for such
ember of the War- "Failure to extend the waiver commodities as coffee and bread.
Under (his rule, authority would remove the They have to pay bribes for
o is th only com- major incentive to encourage luxury items or even high-quality
untry with full Romania to be more forthcoming necessities, such as bicycles or
lations with Israel. on emigration," Carter said in his washing machines.
u's internal policies message to Congress last June. Said one experienced
ed the Carter ad- But Carter's waiver request diplomatic observer, "People are
with a dilemma, represents a compromise bet- getting less satisfied with
to consolidate ween Romanian hopes for per- nationalism. You have a
olitical independen- manent most-favored-nation revolution of rising expectations.
omic development, status and attacks by The educated people look tothe
nts most-favored- Ceausescu's critics who charge West, while the inadequacy of
in trade relations that the country does not qualify nationalism is affecting larger
iited States - a because it violates human rights. and larger classes. They keep
by law is to go oly Romania, Hungary and Poland asking, 'Aren't we sacrificing too
hat respect humasn are the only East bloc nations much?"
e same reason, he with most-favored-nation status, It is the same question that
anian wirkers from entitling them to the same tariffs dissidents applying for passports
untry under what is and quotas applicable to non- raise. For all the obstacles, the
most stringent anti- Communist countries. Western government has granted
policy in Eastern diplomats report, however, that passports or exit visas to get rid
sescu also imposes Romania hinders emigration of potential leaders of revolt at
al discipline and more severely than any other home.
economic austerity member of the Warsaw Pact ex- YET MANY more Romanians
21.7 million people. cept the Soviet Union. - whether student, architect,
ident Carter's con- " T li11 r engineer, factory worker or
man rights or the "WE GET PEOPLEcaing or writer - are subjected to official
onsiderations of comat ah ever daemsai. harsh restrictions unless they
itions with Moscow "Tloy ta stern eba have personal contacts in the
US.-Romanian "They think somehow we can power structure: "The top
night be a question help them, but there's not much party official for the university
act significance in we can do.", told meI would have to sleep with
but for many So far, President Carters him to get a passport for study
it is a matter, proach seems to have achieved abroad," said a woman teaching
eraly, f lie 'little for human rights in ara, adawmntahn
teraly, of life and Romania.rInternal regimentation at a provincial school. "He said
who presented the remains strong, and while the rno gil could leave if she
'etre Negreanu, 27- number of Romanians
operator - led me emigrating to the United States
and recounted his increased from 300 to 1,200 a year (Donald Kirk is a veteran
al. "The police beat after the first U.S.-Romanian foreign correspondent who
s on the feet, the trade agreement was signed, it has written for many
ns. the head," he has not increased since 1976. A eia esaes n
sy my hairis too Emigration of Romanian Jews
make too much was cut from more than 4,000 to cluding the Washington Star
my job when I ap- only 1,300 annually. and The Chicago Tribune. His
sport, and they say Diplomats attribute the reporting has won the George
y have a problem contrasting figures to Ro- Polk MemorialA ward, several
n." maniaa economic need to hold Oesa
ence is typical of onto as many of its people as it Overseas Press Club awards
to attempt to defy a can while building trade relations and an Edward R. Murrow
ed by highly cen- with the United States. That Fellowship at the Council of
A and an elaborate trade - mainly U.S. agricultural Foreign Relations in New
Nigence network products and raw materials for York. He wrote this story for
Securitate. Fear of Romanian crude oil, gasoline and
slteeps .Romanians.-mnfauotad' oducts - in the Pacific News Service.