VOICES

“Outrageous! We will overturn this one. We have now entered into a new and ominous stage. We have brought the whole process of racism into the issue. It is a modern version of reproductive slavery. We will now have poor black women being used as breeders or slaves to produce children for white people. We will redouble our efforts to bring the black leadership and the civil rights leaders in this country into this battle.”

JEREMY RIFKIN

Founder of the National Coalition Against Surrogacy in Washington, D.C.

“Everywhere man blames nature and fate, yet his fate is mostly but the echo of his character and passions, his mistakes and weaknesses.”

JUDGE RICHARD N. PARSLOW, JR.

Quoting the Greek philosopher Democritus

“We always prefer the biological parents. I’m not surprised he (judge) preferred the biological parents. It’s almost like the surrogate has been running upstream against the historical presumption. I cannot read evil into preferring the biological parents. What you are talking about with the surrogate is a eight, nine or seven-month period of time against the genetic pull.”

ARTHUR MILLER

Harvard University law professor, specialist in civil procedure and constitutional law

“It certainly is a landmark decision and it gives a new description or a new interpretation on who is a mother. Up until now, the mother was considered to be whoever gave birth to the child. The infertile community has to be very elated. People have felt that Anna Johnson had wronged this couple. The reaction we are getting from infertile couples is ecstatic. Today was the first public, official affirmation of what parental rights are.”

RALPH FAGEN

Director of the Center for Surrogate Parenting in Beverly Hills. He locates potential surrogate mothers for couples

“We’re very disappointed. A woman who carries a child nine months in pregnancy is certainly the mother of the child. To basically say she’s got no rights is very disturbing. Our definition of motherhood is certainly the person who has nurtured the child and cared for the child. The genetic connection is not as strong as the person who’s provided the nurturing. In our society we do not terminate a parent’s rights unless there is a clear case of abuse or neglect.”

MARY BETH SEADER

Vice president of the National Committee for Adoption

“I’m pleased that what we all wanted at the beginning is what happened at the end. I hope the recommendation of the judge will be helpful for this not happening again.

“The thing I think is the worst about this case, is all the media abuse. Everybody looks bad here. Anna Johnson looks bad. The Calverts look bad. Everybody suffered here. The person we all did this for is that child. and I think the child will eventually suffer for all of this. I don’t think it’s fair. This type of thing should be done in a very private environment.”

DR. RICARDO ASCH

Center for Reproductive Health, Orange, who performed the implant

“I’m in total agreement with the judge. There is a genetic imperative in a sense. There has never been any culture, that is not a deadend culture, that didn’t have some form of pair bonding, the encouragement of genetic parents who wish to stay around.

“When a ewe incubates a fertilized egg from another ewe, we do not believe there is this bonding, but we do know there is in human beings an we need to deal with that. We need legislation and research on the emotional consequences of fooling mother nature.”

JOYCE BROTHERS

Psychologist and syndicated columnist