Comedian Andy Richter says that critics of fetal tissue research must stop linking the medical practice with “baby parts” from abortions.
“If you are howling about ‘baby parts,’ and you and your loved ones have benefitted from treatments for these diseases…you may be a hypocrite,” he wrote in a pair of tweets Sunday.
{mosads}“What grotesque fantasy do people have about what is done with these ‘baby parts?’” he asked. “What do they have against curing diseases?
“To call fetal tissue ‘baby parts’ shows a childish ignorance about medical research,” the Conan O’Brien sidekick added. “Imagine a doctor calling muscle tissue ‘people meat.’
“Even though ‘baby parts’ was a phrase used by [the] CO Springs shooter, people who profit by using it (by money and/or votes) are still using it. It is cynical, willfully ignorant propaganda.”
Richter then cited the many health benefits that fetal tissue research has so far produced.
“’Baby parts’ were used to develop the poliovirus vaccine, which saves 550,000 lives yearly,” he tweeted. “That is pro-life.
“Diseases ‘baby parts’ [are] helping to cure: Cancer, diabetes, birth defects, HIV, MS, ALS [and] Alzheimer’s,” the comic added.
Richter’s criticism follows a mass shooting at a Planned Parenthood facility in Colorado Springs, Colo. last week.
Robert Dear, the alleged shooter, reportedly said “no more baby parts” upon entering police custody on Nov. 28.
Dear is accused of killing three people, including a police officer, and wounding nine others after opening fire on the clinic. Police have repeatedly stressed Dear’s remarks may not fully explain his motivation for targeting Planned Parenthood.
Dozens of the organization’s clinics nationwide are now boosting security in the wake of last week’s violence.
Planned Parenthood’s fetal tissue practices gained fierce scrutiny earlier this year following a series of undercover videos from an anti-abortion group.
The graphic clips sparked outrage by showing the organization’s officials discussing abortions and financial aspects of sharing fetal tissue with researchers.
Planned Parenthood has repeatedly denied selling fetal tissue for profit while dismissing the footage as heavily edited and misleading.