People and GeneWatch because these periodicals express a 
particular ideology. Another suggestion was to add News and 
Comments sections in other journals such Nature, Science , New 
England Journal of Medicine , and New Scientist . Dr. Parkman 
moved to approve the document with the listing of periodicals 
deleted. Dr. Childress seconded the motion. 
The Subcommittee approved the document by a vote of 8 in favor, 
one opposed and one abstention. Dr. Parkman agreed to assist 
Dr. Walters and Mrs. Witherby in finishing the brochure for 
submission to the RAC for consideration at the meeting on January 
30. 
Mr. Rogers 
Mr. Rogers, acting on behalf of the Foundation on Economic 
Trends, outlined a proposal to establish a Human Eugenics 
Advisory Committee ( HEAC ) , to operate in parallel with the 
Recombinant DNA Advisory Committee. The mission of the HEAC 
would be to review and make recommendations on all proposals 
involving human gene therapy. According to a petition submitted 
by Mr. Rogers, these proposals will present: 
"highly complex and controversial philosophical, ethical, 
civil liberties, and eugenics issues and related social and 
economic questions. The medical and ethical perspectives 
and expertise represented in the RAC and in the RAC Human 
Gene Therapy Subcommittee, while necessary for review of the 
medical issues raised by gene therapy proposals, are simply 
not adequate to address the broader issues raised by this 
emerging technology." 
Dr. Parkman reminded participants that many of the issues raised 
in Mr. Rogers' petition had been addressed at the December 1987 
meeting of the Subcommittee in reviewing Dr. Anderson's 
Preclinical Data Document. Commenting on the mission of the 
proposed HEAC, 
Ms. Areen noted that many of the issues, such as rights of 
employee and handicapped persons, prenatal screening, and 
discrimination, are well outside the mission of the RAC and its 
subcommittees . 
Mr. Rogers responded that once gene therapy is available, these 
issues will have relevance and must be discussed now. 
Agreeing with Ms. Areen 's assessment, Mr. Capron noted that 
members of Congress had heard this proposal 2 years ago and 
responded by establishing the congressional Biomedical Ethics 
Advisory Board. The Board is directed to report on the precise 
issues listed by Mr. Rogers and the Foundation on Economic 
Trends. Furthermore, Mr. Capron took exception to Mr. Rogers' 
characterization of RAC members as being "interested primarily in 
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