September 2008 Weddings
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks discussion
1. Consider Deborah?s comment on page 276: "Like I?m always telling my brothers, if you gonna go into history, you can?t do it with a hate attitude. You got to remember, times was different." Is it possible to approach history from an objective point of view? If so, how and why is this important, especially in the context of Henrietta?s story?
2. Deborah says, "But I always have thought it was strange, if our mother cells done so much for medicine, how come her family can?t afford to see no doctors? Don?t make no sense" (page 9). Should the family be financially compensated for the HeLa cells? If so, who do you believe that money should come from? Do you feel the Lackses deserve health insurance even though they can?t afford it? How would you respond if you were in their situation?
3. Religious faith and scientific understanding, while often at odds with each other, play important roles in the lives of the Lacks family. How does religious faith help frame the Lackses? response to and interpretation of the scientific information they receive about HeLa? How does Skloot?s attitude toward religious faith and science evolve as a result of her relationship with the Lackses?
4. Did you like this book? Would you recommend it to others?
Re: Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks discussion
1. It is possible to approach history from an objective point of view. It is very important to realize that this happened decades ago in a time where civil rights were a mess, especially for "colored" people. I think Deborah is trying to say that you can't be mad at what history has done, instead you learn from it.
2. I believe the family should have been compensated greatly for the use of the HeLa cells. Each time the cells were sold the family should have received a percentage. In the least they should be insured for life, free of cost. I think restitution should start where the cells were first taken. I really can't say how I would respond. I would like to say I'd get a lawyer and go that route but they are extremely poor so can't afford it and not exactly educated so they may not really understand how to go about the whole process.
3. Religion plays a huge role in how the Lackses respond to the use of Henrietta's cells. They turn to faith to help them "see" that although they were done wrong the cells are doing so much good. I think religion is what keeps them going and knowing that their mom is helping billions of people and saving lives. To them Henrietta still lives.
4. I did like the book although it is not something I would normally read. I would recommend it but I would make sure people understood what it was about rather than have them go into it blind.
CRAFTY ME
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