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MERCK REQUESTS SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION TO STOP THE USE OF ABORTED FETAL

Discussion in '2003 Archive' started by dianetavegia, Mar 25, 2003.

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  1. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 25, 2003
    Contact:
    Debi Vinnedge, Executive Director
    Children of God for Life (727) 538-5558
    Email: debi@cogforlife.org
    http://www.cogforlife.org
    MERCK REQUESTS SHAREHOLDERS VOTE AGAINST RESOLUTION TO STOP THE USE OF ABORTED FETAL TISSUE IN VACCINES

    (Clearwater, FL; Front Royal, VA) Pro-life organizations, Children of God for Life and Human Life International charged today that pharmaceutical giant, Merck & Co. has betrayed their stockholders by refusing to include language in Shareholder Proposal No. 7. that would have revealed:

    - An organized boycott of all Merck products
    - A resolution by the Catholic Medical Association to use alternatives to their vaccines cultivated on aborted fetal tissue and
    - Instruction by investment counseling organization, Pro Vita Advisors, that investors divest their Merck stock.

    By using aborted fetal cell lines in vaccine production, Human Life International, President Rev. Thomas J. Euteneuer, who purchased sufficient shares of Merck stock demanded fellow shareholders be informed that Merck has violated its own Statement on Values, which states in part, "We are committed to the highest standards of ethics and integrity".

    In a 5-page letter to the SEC, Merck pleaded their case to keep the entire resolution from becoming public, stating that the use of aborted fetal cell lines falls under “ordinary business” and therefore should be excluded from the proxy vote. In addition, Merck refused to acknowledge that they were profiting from the destruction of human life, stating there was no “financial evidence” to prove it. Merck’s net income for 2002 was $7,149.5 million, with $34.6 million in viral vaccine sales.

    While the SEC agreed to allow the information to be included in this year’s annual meeting, Merck’s attorneys were able to successfully remove most of the critical language.

    “What they have done is deny their stockholders the right to vote on the true language of the resolution”, stated Children of God for Life’s Executive Director Debi Vinnedge, who has organized the boycott and the Campaign for Ethical Vaccines with over 475,000 signatures.

    Rev Euteneuer agreed. “Watch for your proxy cards in the mail and if their practice of using aborted fetal cell lines offends you, vote in favor of Resolution 7., to appoint a special committee linking executive compensation with the Company’s ethical performance.”

    "What went in and what came out of that resolution are quite different", said Vinnedge. "While we are pleased that the SEC agreed to provide stockholders with the information that aborted fetal cell lines are used in Merck's vaccines, we also believe they should be aware of boycotts, investment warnings and the resolution by the Catholic Medical Association to use alternatives. In effect, such actions by several organizations and parents to boycott all Merck products and use alternatives may eventually decrease their sales numbers and devalue the stock".

    To review the Merck Proxy statement being mailed to shareholders for consideration at the upcoming meeting, go to:
    http://www.merck.com/finance/proxy/pr2003/proposal_4.html
     
    #1 dianetavegia, Mar 25, 2003
  2. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    But what if you have no problem with the use of aborted fetal tissue?

    Even if elective abortion is illegal, there will be aborted fetal tissue.

    The two are separate issues. Kind of like making research on corpses illegal in an effort to make homicide illegal.
     
    #2 Johnv, Mar 25, 2003
  3. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

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    Those who see no problem or nothing wrong with this then encourage the method of abortion for procurement of tissue....Kind of like enabling the alcoholic, same principle. Tissue for profit. Seems pretty sick & evil to me. Imagine that is your son or daughter being aborted, chopped up, and sold for parts. It's gruesome and demonic. And big business for the abortion industry. :mad:
     
    #3 LadyEagle, Mar 25, 2003
  4. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    There's an easy compromise. Make it illegal to sell aborted tissue, similar to it being illegal to sell organs. That should solve the monetary issue, should it not?
     
    #4 Johnv, Mar 25, 2003
  5. Gina B

    Gina B Active Member

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    Yes, it's sick and evil, but if it will help people medicinally, or even so much as give the promise of younger looking skin, people will suddenly find reason to think it's ok.
    A girl from China was in the U.S., when her husband came over he brought her face cream and she got all excited. She was using it and smearing it on her face, I took it and read the ingredients and told her it had dead babies in it. Her reaction? "So what? Over there people eat 'em too. I love it, it makes my skin smooth."

    I seriously don't think abortion will ever be stopped. Late term abortion, sure, it will be limited anyhow, but trying to stop abortion as a whole is a lost cause. Ain't gonna happen.
    That doesn't stop me from speaking against it or fighting against it tooth and nail, I believe it's the job of Christians to fight evil, whether the cause can be won or not.

    Many won't agree with me, or can't make sense of why I would "waste" time on something I don't believe I can win, but that's why I'm a ... well, it's an evil word to most around here, I'll withhold. ;)

    Gina
     
    #5 Gina B, Mar 25, 2003
  6. stubbornkelly

    stubbornkelly New Member

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    I guess it would be tacky to ask anyone's opinions on "collateral damage" and if it relates at all to the topic of abortion. :(

    Anyhoo, I agree with John. I haven't seen any evidence that inexorably links stem cell research and the like with any rise in the abortion rate. It's a huge leap of logic to suggest that people will choose abortion because the fetus can be used in medical research. Come on, now. To follow the cadaver/murder analogy, you don't see people giving the "well, I just wanted those poor medical students to be able to do their research" being given as a defense for murder.

    If the fetuses are available, then I see no problem with using them to some medical benefit.
     
    #6 stubbornkelly, Mar 25, 2003
  7. I Am Blessed 24

    I Am Blessed 24 Active Member

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    Can you say Black Market?
     
    #7 I Am Blessed 24, Mar 25, 2003
  8. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    I can. Let's look atthe way we track harvested organs in the us. It's just about impossible to obtain a donated organ from any source than from a legitimate one. The black market in the US for organs is just about nonexistent (save urban legends).

    Fetal tissue donation could be tracked in the same manner, which would pretty much guarantee the prevention of a black market.
     
    #8 Johnv, Mar 25, 2003
  9. neal4christ

    neal4christ New Member

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    Money issue or not, I don't feel it is appropriate for us to compromise when it comes to an innocent human life that has no say for itself.

    Neal
     
    #9 neal4christ, Mar 25, 2003
  10. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    Money issue or not, I don't feel it is appropriate for us to compromise when it comes to an innocent human life that has no say for itself.

    Please reread my posts. I'm not arguing abortion. I'm arguing fetal tissue research. If elective abortion is illegal, fetal tissue will still be available from abortions that are non-elective (ectopic pregnancies and miscarriages alone number several thousand every year).

    If one feels it's inappropriate to seel fetal tissue, then make it illegal to sell aborted tissue, similar to laws governing organ donation. That should solve the monetary issue.

    If one is concerned about black market tissue, setup a tissue tracking program similar to organ donation. That should solve the black market issue.

    The only other objection I can think of is "I just don't like it". But not liking something is hardly a biblical reason to oppose something.
     
    #10 Johnv, Mar 26, 2003
  11. I Am Blessed 24

    I Am Blessed 24 Active Member

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    John; In our Christian community, as well as many thousands of others, these babies still receive a Christian burial. [​IMG]

    Blessings,
    Sue
     
    #11 I Am Blessed 24, Mar 26, 2003
  12. LadyEagle

    LadyEagle <b>Moderator</b> <img src =/israel.gif>

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    Oh, like the....

    U.S. Embassy bombings that killed more than 250 people in East Africa,

    190 lives lost in Bali,

    the blast that killed 19 servicemen and injured 500 Americans and Saudis at the Khobar Towers military complex,

    and the 3000 people lost on 09/11?

    Or the 1.5 MILLION people Saddam has murdered during his reign of terror?

    That could hardly be called "collateral damage" and neither could abortion - a woman's right to choose "murder." :rolleyes:

    [ March 26, 2003, 10:07 AM: Message edited by: SheEagle9/11 ]
     
    #12 LadyEagle, Mar 26, 2003
  13. Johnv

    Johnv New Member

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    If that is what the family desires, that would be one thing. But again, remains are donated for research all the time. No reason to ban the same at the fetal level.

    Besides, I plan on being cremated :eek: .
     
    #13 Johnv, Mar 26, 2003
  14. dianetavegia

    dianetavegia Guest

    In hospitals all over the country, placenta is saved and sold for use in hair and skin products WITHOUT YOUR PERMISSION. Read the labels! One of the most famous products for 'fried' hair lists placenta right on it!

    Also, and this one is harder to explain, foreskin from circumcisions is saved and grown. I THINK I'm right when I say the report I read said that skin from one circumcision can eventually grow enough skin to cover a football field. It's used to save lives in severe burn cases as grafts. I would have no trouble with that but think parents should be told when they sign papers what is happening to their placenta, child's cord blood, skin, etc...
     
    #14 dianetavegia, Mar 26, 2003
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