Late Monday evening, New Mexico Alliance for Life staff received notice of a University of New Mexico Health Sciences Center (UNM HSC) meeting Tuesday, which was purported to discuss “disposition of tissue,” i.e., disposition of aborted infant remains. UNM HSC has recently come under fire for their harvesting of aborted infant body parts, for experimentation and other activites including “whole, fixed brains to dissect w/ summer camp students,” as reported by the
Albuqueruqe Journal. In fact, the Journal’s
Editorial Board weighed in on the inappropriate conduct of UNM HSC researchers and defying open records laws in response to NMAFL’s requests. Additionally, UNM HSC officials have continued to parse words and hide from public inquiries regarding these practices–Tuesday’s meeting was no different.
One witness described UNM HSC’s chief, Paul Roth’s demeanor as “cold, clinical and dismissive-it was very apparent he didn’t want to be bothered with questions about UNM’s use of human fetal remains, even though his salary is paid by the taxpayers of this state.” Dr. Paul Roth addressed one taxpayer’s concerns in the video below, from Marcie May, after the meeting:
A University-Level Parsing of Words
The story continues to change regarding the use of “whole, fixed brains to dissect w/ summer camp students,” as clearly stated in UNM HSC’s ‘
Procurement Notes.’ UNM HSC spokesperson, Billy Sparks tried to downplay it as “inartful shorthand” and “not sponsored” by UNM, that this wasn’t
reallya summer camp but a “Neuroscience Summer Experience” that involved students and children. Roth, in the video claims it was a single UNM faculty member during “one of the summer workshops, dissected, I think one or two fetal brains.” As the Journal’s Editoral Board stated, “apparently, having employees conduct these sessions in UNM facilities doesn’t constitute “sponsorship” – a university-level parsing of words,” and “for faculty members to dissect donated fetal brain tissue in front of not just UNM students, but also the children of faculty members, during what UNM officials are calling a “Neuroscience Summer Experience” – somehow trying to draw a distinction between that and the term “summer camp” – is inappropriate at best and barbaric at worst.”
In the video, Dr. Roth also refuses to acknowledge that late-term abortionist, Curtis Boyd is the “only supplier” of infant body parts, which has been well documented and defended by UNM Health Sciences officials, including in this public statement by UNM HSC ‘Vice Chancellor of Research’ Dr. Richard Larson
here. Larson can be seen walking away from the video. Both Roth and Larson are public employees paid by New Mexico state taxpayers.
The UNM Board of Regents met today as well, and taxpayers showed up to ask more questions about these troubling practices. UNM Regents and UNM President Bob Franks were urged to be transparent with the public. Many taxpayers asked whether or not late-term abortionist Curtis Boyd is still UNM faculty and why. NMAFL will have more information forthcoming.
Statement from Tuesday’s meeting presented during public comment by Marcie May.:
“I am speaking on behalf of those who can’t speak, and to remind this group that they are to make sure that they abide by the “Sunshine Law” that all records be made open. [I made eye contact with the Chair and several others in the room. I noticed that there was one woman on the committee who seemed to be smirking. I said: ] I’m not sure why you’re laughing, because this is no laughing matter. [ I got pretty choked up; then tension was thick in the room.] There are reports of UNM providing aborted fetal remains for high school workshops this summer. What are we teaching our children? This is disgusting and abhorrent! We hear reports that Albuquerque is the 5th most violent city in the US, and we wonder why. If we don’t take care of our youngest, most vulnerable members of our city, why should we wonder why we are like this?
UNM needs to come to accountability in the disposition of the babies that are aborted. They need to be subject to complete disclosure.These aborted babies are human. Even if you choose to not call them “human” for your convenience, they are still human, and their remains must be accounted for. It doesn’t matter how noble the cause of research – whether it is for Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s or TBI, Traumatic Brain Injury, the taking of one life for another, cannot and should not be justified in the name of the god of science. Yet, at UNM, and many other research Universities, our tax dollars are. Even if no money was exchanged, the taking of an innocent life is wrong. But not so under the ethics at UNM.
Changing wording, changing terms, in no way justifies the fact that an innocent life has been taken…for profit and in the name of science.”
