Name    : 
E-Mail  : 
Subject : 

Comments:
: Punished for voting his conscience 

: The Jersey Journal
: Editorial
: Friday, December 19, 2003

: On Monday, the state Assembly approved a bill to permit stem cell research in New Jersey, a measure supported by this newspaper in past editorials. 

: There was a great deal of pressure placed on lawmakers by those on both sides of the argument, and inevitably it came down to the end of this legislative session. A few days before the vote, The Jersey Journal asked the Assembly members to show courage in voting for the bill, which when signed by the governor will open the door to innovative research that promises to aid those suffering from terminal illnesses. 

: The bill specifically prohibits the cloning of human beings and also calls for an institutional review board to study issues related to stem cell research and advise the governor and Legislature. It's an attempt to put to rest opposition to research that has been condemned by the Roman Catholic Church. It hasn't quieted opponents, who insist that someone will find a loophole in the law. 

: Debate on most legislation that day was brief, but the stem cell research bill resulted in about 55 minutes of discussion, both pro and con. What was disappointing was that the votes were cast along party lines, instead of on individual conscience. One Republican - or at least a recognized member of the GOP - was the only one in his party who did. 

: Assemblyman Rafael Fraguela of Union City, who became a Republican earlier this year after a falling out with the Hudson County Democratic Organization, was kicked out of the GOP caucus because he broke the party line and voted for the bill. It was passed, 41-3, with seven Assembly members abstaining. Fraguela could have abstained, but to his credit, he did not. Because he failed to discuss his vote with Republican leaders beforehand, his action was considered a betrayal. Betrayal of what, a consensus to decide what was politically expedient? 

: What made Fraguela's decision easy was the fact that on Jan. 13 he will be replaced in the Assembly by Union City Mayor Brian P. Stack, a Democrat. Still, the Republicans erred in trying to punish their colleague, who is a Cuban immigrant. They were on the wrong side of the vote, and now they're on the wrong side of Hispanic perception in Hudson County of their party. 



Optional Link URL:  
Link Title:         
Optional Image URL: 

 

Hoboken Guide

Featured Link Featured Listing Advertising Program Business name, Web Site Link and a brief description or motto – runs for one month in the Page (or Pages) of your choice. Sales Associates Wanted! GET NJ seeks sales associates to market ads on a commission basis. For more information, e-mail your resume and contact information to sales@getnj.com – Be sure to mention the area of New Jersey and/or the market segment that you plan to serve. GRAVE ROBBER Jersey City Computer Repair 297 Griffith Street, Jersey City, NJ - 201-798-2292 - In the Heights just off of Kennedy Blvd. - Very close to Journal Square and Union City, just five minutes away from Hoboken, Downtown Jersey City, Newport, the Waterfront, Secaucus, North Bergen and Weehawken - Tech support for The Jersey City Mayor's Office during the administration of Bret Schundler - PC repair - Tivos, too!, upgrade, hardware install, software install, data recovery, spyware removal, virus removal, replace hard drive, replace motherboard, copy files from notebooks, backup information from dead laptops Wanted! Used Computers! Used computers bought and sold. Located in Jersey City, NJ - convenient to the Hoboken 2nd Street Light Rail stations and the Journal Square PATH subway station. E-mail graverobber@verizon.net with an itemized list (description) of what you have for sale and the price. Pickup in the New York City Metro area -- minimum 10 units. Secure, guaranteed data removal is available.

For All Sorts of Unique New York City Information, Visit GET NY!