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Infinite Possibilities If Mirrors Face The inevitability of human cloning is unavoidable. Although a majority of individuals disapprove the idea of cloning humans, I firmly believe that, not only will human cloning be widely practiced in the near future, but it will also benefit the health and well-being of all humanity. Just visualize for a second that you are one of the human clones that will exist within this decade, and imagine putting up with all the arguments that many opinion leaders are currently struggling to make illegal: that cloning is a threat to human dignity and nobility, that its a slippery slope, that its playing God, that everyone has an entitlement to a unique and exclusive genome (except identical twins? ) or to an unknown genome, and so on and so on, etcetera, etcetera. Now how would this possibly make you feel? Perhaps, and maybe in all probability, you would feel much the same way as a black man would suffering from racial abuse, or even a woman being a victim of sexual harassment. Fortunately, however, by the time a human clone arrives at an age where he or she can be aware of what is being interpreted, each and every one these arguments we hear today will be forgotten.
This is what happened to the moral panic that once tempered over the prospect of transplanting a heart via one individual to another; and to most of the opposition to in vitro fertilization, which has not been heard from barely again after the 1978 birth of Louise Brown, the first test tube baby (McGee 79). Public approval of IVF in America has risen from 15 % in the early seventies to over 70 % today (McGee 135). Although it did take more than 275 attempts before researchers were able to obtain a successful sheep clone (Internet), while cloning methods may improve, we should note that even standard IVF techniques typically have a success rate of less than 20 percent (Wachbroit B 1). In the Book of Genesis in the Bible chapter 1, verse 28, God says, be fruitful and multiply; and fill the Earth. ! Then he continues, and master it. Also to note, ?
Though Gods miraculous creation of Eve was far from cloning, it is interesting to note in passing that Gods own Word says He used Adams rib-physical bone and tissue to create Eve (Auerbach). This shows me that God had to clone Adam to create Eve? s body structure, which could be argued that biologists and embryologists are only following God? s footsteps, and not playing God.
Over 90 percent of Americans oppose of human cloning (The Economist). Human cloning is condemned by every major religious denomination in the world (Wachbroit B 1). The United Nations, the G- 7, the World Health Organization and other international bodies have all called for the ban on human cloning (Walker 83). My advice to them? chill out! The fact of the matter is, it doesn?
t really matter one way or the other, except to the parents who could not otherwise conceive, and to the children that could not otherwise have been born. Human reproductive cloning will never have an impact on society at large. Long before a large enough number of clones have been born and reached adulthood to have any potential effect on our society, much more exciting reproductive technologies will be available. These will make it possible not only to copy an existing genotype but also to design new genotypes to precise specification.
Parents will be able to select genes for their kids that correlate with all sorts of desirable characteristics, such as health, longevity, intelligence, athletic ability, beauty, and a pleasant temperament (Ahlstrom). And long before any such genetically enhanced children have reached an age where they can have a noticeable impact on society, there will exist still more potent technologies, making even this development insignificant. To concentrate on a different aspect on the advantage human cloning, allow me to introduce to you the number one natural assassin of the United States, heart disease. With human cloning, scientists predict that in the near future they will be able to clone healthy heart cells and inject them into damaged areas. According to ABC News, cancer kills one in every four individuals in our country alone. In a classroom of thirty-two students, eight students may possibly die from this horrific illness.
Many drugs were made to try to prevent this deadly disease, but we are unable to find out how cells differentiate into a specific kind of tissue, nor do they understand why cancerous cells lose their differentiation (Internet). There are a plethora of different diseases that await infinite freedom from human anatomical and physiological atrophy such as leukemia, liver and kidney disease, Down? s syndrome, cystic fibrosis, etc. These diseases are nearly impossible to cure with the governments ban and the absence of federal funding. But with human cloning research, not only will illnesses be cured, but Lou Gehrigs along with Parkinson?
s will simply be considered as just? names. On this view, it is not the case that technological development is always progress and that all technology is good. For technology can also be used for destructive purposes (oh yes), and the more powerful the technology, the graver its abuse potential.
Let? s take nano systems for example. Nano systems are mechanical systems to guide the placement of reactive molecules, building complex structures with atom-by-atom control (Lewis 11657). Those who have thought through the consequences of the anticipated ability to design and build nano systems are rightly concerned about the possibility of misuse of this technology, with potentially deadly consequences. Small self-replicating molecular machines, mechanical bacteria that could be made to feed on organic matter, may one day be built.
In the wrong hands, this technology would pose a threat to our Earth? s biosphere and the survival of intelligent life. And this ties in with our discussion of cloning. What concerns me about the cloning uproar are two things. First of all, the response and the unpreparedness of our society in dealing with this relatively trifling technological development. In some countries there is even a risk that legislators will respond by passing legislation that would outlaw not only human reproductive cloning, but also research into therapeutic cloning, although the two have little more in common than seven letters (The Economist).
If we cannot keep our heads level at the prospect that some individuals may come to have a younger identical twin, then what are our chances when the time comes to deal with technologies that pose a threat to our species? existence? Will we manage to have informed, constructive discussions, and responsible, timely decision-making? Maybe, if we smarten up.
But we better begin soon. My second concern is that crying? Wolf! ? too often may cause people to ignore the moral alarm the one time when the warning is actually real. Imagine that in a couple of decades, an urgent need arises to pass some globally binding regulation on some aspect of nanotechnology to prevent human extinction. Will people put pillows over their heads and say, ?
well, they forecasted the calamity in the cases of heart transplantation, IVF, acid rain, recourse depletion, overpopulation, global warning, genetically enhanced children, and many others on many occasions. Nothing happened. So why do they expect me to pay attention this time? ? So this is what I think about human cloning.
It is just another tool that will make it possible for some infertile couples to have the biological child they could not otherwise have, enable some non-infertile parents to better satisfy their reproductive preferences, and to cure our world from all diseases imaginable. You can celebrate this progress, if you so are inclined; or, you can simply accept it with a shrug. But let us hope that it will somehow stimulate us to ascend to a level where issues raised by our current rapid technological development can be discussed in an informed and constructive manner, and where we can begin to debate the options for our species? future in a more mature way.
The benefits of human cloning are plentiful and can revolutionize the world. There are certainly risks in any new technology, but in this case, benefits outweigh the risks. We should not close the doors that lead to significant advances for our well-being. Better yet, let us join the efforts of those who are working to make it happen. Cloning will not be a downfall to human history, but rather a step closer to a better society. 33 e
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Research essay sample on Impact On Society Reproductive Cloning
