Being labeled 'strident' may not be all that bad - By... -
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Published on: 8/30/2001
Last Visited: 8/28/2003
The most recent example of exposing the strident to the moderate glare of "enlightenment" comes by way of Richard F. Teichgraeber III, director of the Murphy Institute at Tulane University.In a column appearing in The Times-Picayune (Aug. 20), Teichgraeber reflects on the recent decision by President Bush concerning stem-cell research using human embryos.
The thrust of his column has to do with the slippery-slope argument - "once you start down the slope, you must slide all the way down, unable to stop at any point along the way."
The merits or deficiencies of such an argument have long been debated.What is of interest in the column is this: Teichgraeber has detected a strident opponent "of all abortion rights" in Richard M. Doerflinger, a spokesman for the Catholic bishops.