Before the California election in November 2004, many likened the Proposition 71 battle to a David vs. Goliath smackdown. Goliath (Robert Klein and co.) had tons of money to launch a stealth campaign for ‘cures’ under the guise of human embryonic cloning research. David (a rag tag team of pro-lifers and pro-choicers) had zero stones for his slingshot. So on election day, opponents of prop. 71 should have announced their defeat. But legal challenges were filed right away–and supporters of prop. 71 have not been able to sell one bond, and now we are going to trial! The mainstream media may be saying that David is losing the battle, but going to trial is good news. Good news, in that supporters of Prop. 71 cannot declare victory. They asked the judge to dismiss the suit; she did not. Good news, as we now enter the discovery phase where we can enter as evidence all of the documented bold, audacious claims made by supporters of prop. 71 to CA voters. Good news, as we challenge the constitutionality of prop. 71. By all appearances and measurements, Goliath should have won and defeated David. But we know how the story ends. Hopefully, those who characterised the prop. 71 pre-election battle as David vs. Goliath will have a bit of prophetic voice here.

Author Profile

Jennifer Lahl, CBC Founder
Jennifer Lahl, CBC Founder
Jennifer Lahl, MA, BSN, RN, is founder and president of The Center for Bioethics and Culture Network. Lahl couples her 25 years of experience as a pediatric critical care nurse, a hospital administrator, and a senior-level nursing manager with a deep passion to speak for those who have no voice. Lahl’s writings have appeared in various publications including Cambridge University Press, the San Francisco Chronicle, the Dallas Morning News, and the American Journal of Bioethics. As a field expert, she is routinely interviewed on radio and television including ABC, CBS, PBS, and NPR. She is also called upon to speak alongside lawmakers and members of the scientific community, even being invited to speak to members of the European Parliament in Brussels to address issues of egg trafficking; she has three times addressed the United Nations during the Commission on the Status of Women on egg and womb trafficking.