Ivan Cameron
Last week in Barry David Cameron was asked why he'd voted in favour of the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Bill.
He was asked the question by someone who was clearly passionately, genuinely against the Bill, against any form, as he saw it, of tampering with nature. The question was posed politely and calmly but there was no disguising the strength of feeling behind it.
Mr Cameron didn't look at all surprised and was equally calm in explaining why he'd voted as he did.
It was about Ivan, about watching a 6 year old son who was sometimes - regularly - racked with pain, who had cerebral palsy, suffered horrendous epileptic fits and about asking himself as a father whether it was wrong to try anything that might lead to more understanding of conditions like his son's.
"I just found I couldn't say no", he said "and so I voted yes".
His answer made an impression, even among those who remained opposed to his policies and his party.
Ivan was taken ill last night and died in the early hours. To David, Samantha, Nancy and Arthur Cameron, deepest sympathy.
I'm Betsan Powys, BBC Wales' political editor. I'll be blogging the inside track on 
© MMIX~RS~q~RS~~RS~z~RS~06~RS~)
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..Once again I am diving straight into a controversial subject.
I am fortunate to have produced 4 very healthy and fecund daughters, who in turn have produced many healthy and pretty genetically perfect children.
I do sympathise with Cameron, his loss is twofold, first his child was born critically disable,... yes, then after all those years of care, he loses him. A terrible double whammy, but one that does not have to be borne.
I do NOT understand anyone complaining about the 'interference with nature' that Betsan mentioned.
They no doubt eat the results of centuries of interfering with nature, via the potatoes, apples, tomatoes, melons, wheat, oats, rye, Probably hey decorate their homes and gardens with the similar results of such interference, in the flowers they cut or plant.
Then comes the matter of flesh..., unless that person, and their ilk , are vegetarians, they will roast their beef or pork or lamb, all of which are the result of centuries, again, of interfering with nature. And without doubt enjoy what they eat.
Even if they are veggies, their food was, again, likewise developed by interfering with nature.
But when it comes to trying to resolve the matter of disease, and malformed offspring, we must not do anything that 'interferes with nature'
We recently had a conjoined twin situation here in Wales, I will not bother to outguess the experts in trying to say why such events take place, but I will certainly go as far as saying, that whenever such disturbing pregnancies occur, the total picture should be considered, that means the whole life cost, if and when such deformities are allowed to come to term.
Nature usully interferes with itself, by forcing a miscarriage.
We have, likewise, often 'interfered with nature' in using interference techniques to prevent that miscarriage. Not all of which results in a perfect issue.
The actual cost to both the health services and the fractured lives of the parents of what are really freaks of nature, should be given higher priority that they are at present.
All this pussy footing about, to take account of the sensitivities of the unfortunate parents, is all well and good, for those who like to feel saintly, but when reality kicks in, after some years of struggling to maintain a decent level of care for the deformed child, I just hope the 'saintly' ones who helped the offspring to survive, when nature itself would have killed it off, are struck down with an overburdened guilt complex, for 'unnaturally interfering' in what should have been a straightforward case of termination by early abortion, or swift and humane euthanasia.
The whole matter should be taken out of the emotive, and placed into the realms of the practical.
Far less cruel, and less traumatic for the unfortunate, who thereafter is compelled to live a life that in nature it would never have been tolerated to so do.
So if anyone is 'interfering with nature' it is those 'saintly' types, not those whose lives will be ruined by being compelled to suffer the years of slog, and often indignity, once the child is a fact of their life.
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Hang on.
This is all wrong.
It's not natural.
It's about time we sorted this out.
There should be a law against this.
Children should be there to weep at their parent's funeral.
Not the other way round.
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By saying .....
"I just found I couldn't say no", he said "and so I voted yes".
David Cameron showed honesty. I think we might welcome more honesty in the future.
Roll on the next election.
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Loss of a much loved child - my heartfelt sympathy to the Camerons and their family.
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Betsan Powys:
I am sending my condolences and prayers to Mr. & Mrs. Cameron and the extended family in regards to the passing of Ivan......
~Dennis Junior~
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When my lovely, but severely disabled niece died a few years ago, it was the biggest and most incomprehensible blow to hit our family. For us, also, it was to be expected, but the loss, the jolt, was no less for all that. Although largely lost in her own silent world for the whole of her short life, the impact she had on all of us was immense. The love which was almost an aura around her will never be forgotten.
My condolences to the Cameron family as well.
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message 7....
As I appear to be the only one to use the word 'fecund' I must assume your question is aimed at myself.
Have you not got a standard dictionary?
I will also assume you have not; the word means productive, in reference to child birth.
The Concise Oxford gives it thus:...
Fecund: adjective, ME (middle English)
from the Latin: fecundus, .... Fruitful in offspring or vegetable growth.
MY! I should have been a teacher, with all the dummies on these blogs.
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This comment was removed because the moderators found it broke the House Rules.
mesasage 10....
wtyo!
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