Should Human Cloning Be Permitted? For years, part of the American public, and humans in general, have been fascinated with the possibility of creating human life by other than natural means.
There are many that strongly disagree with the idea of human cloning. It certainly wasn’t surprising when they were able to clone a sheep or a pig, and will not be surprising if someday scientists will be able to clone a human being. Should cloning for human benefits or even human cloning itself be allowed in society today? That is a question we must ask ourselves. On one side of the issue are those who believe that human cloning should be permitted. One thing that shows this is what human cloning research may bring.
Those who opposed to a ban believe that human cloning research could bring substantial benefits, including the development of new treatments for cystic fibrosis, other diseases and the ability to create an animal with normal compatible organs for transplant. (1. Should Congress Prohibit All Human Cloning Experimentation? Pg. 34). From my opinion, I believe that human cloning is just a huge step towards negativism in human lives, rather than simply being the next step in fertility technology. There might be a possibility that human cloning research may result in the discovery of a cure for diseases and the growing of human organs, but the disadvantages are that many years as well as money may be need it.
Also several experts told the committee that cloning might be the only chance for many infertile couples to have their own genetically related children. (2. Gorman, Pg. 66) For what I see these cases are rarely seen, and the little amount of couples that suffer of infertility are more likely to adopt a child. Infertility is not the cause.
This is not the main reason why scientists are coming up with the idea of human cloning. What I believe is that scientists are just making propaganda in order to make the public to get on their side. Another reason is, what could happen if cloning is banned? What about consequences of banning a technology? Death, disease, disability, indignity, on happiness, and blighted life’s that would result from imposing limits on cloning discoveries and advances. (3. Bailey, Pg.
66) What might possibly happen if cloning is banned, scientist’s as well as experts believe that efforts to ban cloning could drastically stop the creation of new medicines that would help millions of people? Cloning might be a discovery for scientists to duplicate human lives. However, I certainly don’t believe that this discovery would go further than saving lives, simply for the cost and waste of time. Furthermore, President Clinton took two swift steps: he called for moratorium on the use of federal funds for human cloning research and he asked his national bio-ethics advisory commission to let him know within 90 days whether the new technology should be even more tightly controlled. (4. Gorman, Pg.
66) In my opinion, I state that, no matter who pays for it or for what reason is done, cloning should be made a criminal offense in the U. S. The President does not have the right to spend federal funds in a research that most likely would be denied by congress; in addition it is also a waste of time and money. Cloning would not be cheap. More likely, the cost of genetic treatments will increase substantially, and the rich will be the only ones to take advantage of the new medical treatment. (5.
Bailey, Pg. 66. ) Realistic technology will be more advanced in the future and robots might even have replaced peoples jobs. However, In the future this treatment is going to be more advanced, and the rich will take advantage of the new technologies, so their children will be smarter and free of diseases.
Meanwhile, the poor will suffer of diseases and lack of learning. Moreover, the supporters for human cloning argue that human cloning should be allowed, as the research may have to potential to eliminate many of the world’s problems such as animal extinction and can also benefit mankind in many ways. (6. ‘Should Human Cloning Be Allowed? Pg 1). It has been said and debated that scientist should not take the work of God into their own hands, but if they do so, the only problem that they could cause, is that they could destroy the age-old concept of father and mother. Although it may seem dim, there are some advantages of human cloning.
Providing better research capabilities to find cures to many present diseases, bringing back friends or relatives who have passed away by cloning an identical copy,providing children for women who are single and do not wish to have artificial insemination, and the choice of physical characteristics (Who to look like?). (7. Should Human Cloning Be Allowed? Pg. 1) My view and thoughts to all these advantages are that human cloning may produce another Hitler and other racial violent conspirators. Secondly, human cloning is not at all natural, meaning that a child born of cloning is not going to have the same thoughts, and he or she are just going to be an unethical, immoral person and last, but not least, human cloning would alter the very meaning of humanity. On the other side there are many that correctly believe that human cloning should not be allowed.
One thing that strongly disagrees is, what possible consequences cloning can produce? A child born of cloning would face An enormous weight of social and parental expectation about what and who that child should be. (8. Seppa, Pg. 367) A child born of cloning will react depending on its environment just like a normal child. If the child is raised around scientists and is treated as an experiment, the child most likely will ask his or herself about from who or where they came from.
On the other hand, if the child is raised around a normal family, he or she will not have or even ask any question concerning their life development or creation. Other reasons are the differences in the types of genes that may be produced by cloning. Creating a human life with just a gene is like taking a big risk, because there are selfish genes, pleasure genes, seeking genes, violence genes, celebrity genes,gay genes, couch potatoes genes, depression genes, genes for genius, genes for saving, and even genes for sinning. (9.
Should Congress Prohibit All Human Cloning Experimentations? Pg. 50). Getting one of these particular genes is not what you would want in a person. It has been simply shown that there are many possibilities that a child will be born with an unwanted gene(s). Most likely, causing a child to have a genetic disorder, early or later in life.
Also, attempting to create a human child using the new cloning technology of somatic cell nuclear transfer should not be permitted by anyone in the public sector or private sector, either in the laboratory or in a clinical setting. (10. Should Congress Prohibit All Human Experimentation? Pg 51). Technology seems to take away many of the morals that we have worked so hard to install in society. Most people only seem to want to cater to their own needs and do not bother to consider the consequences that society and the clone may have to face. Other than consequences, there are also moral concerns about how this will be deliberated and reviewed into the future.
Moreover, the president’s view is that human cloning would give rise deep concerns, given our most cherished concepts of faith and humanity. (11. Should Congress Prohibit All Human Cloning Experimentations? Pg. 48).
It has been said, that each human life is unique, born of a miracle that reaches beyond laboratory science. It is simply wrong to experiment with the creation of human life in this way. I also believe that every child has a right to come into the world. world in the way that is natural for human beings with two parents, not just as a genetic donor.
In addition the bills to ban cloning, seven other bills that ban the creation of duplicate humans have been introduced on Capitol Hill since Dolly the sheep was cloned in Britain a year and a half ago. (12. Carvey, Pg. 66). From my opinion, I believe that researchers and people in general, must respect this profound gift and resist the temptation to duplicate us.
We hear of such a problem with the world’s population, I feel that human cloning is not the answer to population problems because I feel that it is morally wrong. Cloning would be taking away someone’s identity and individuality and that is wrong. Where do we draw the line? There has to be limits and laws set as to what you can clone, and how much of it you can clone. For example, would someone really want fifty beings exactly like them running around? No, because they wouldn’t know whom their mother or father is, plus they won’t even have a sense of who they are or where they came from. Cloning is immoral and totally ludicrous.
The only reason we are face these problems is simply because certain individuals with substantial amounts of money believe that they should be cloned, so that there would be many copies of them to perpetuate their image and their ideas. Furthermore, a house representative stated that, Any discovery that touches upon human creation is not simply a matter of scientific inquiry. It is a matter of morality and spiritually as well. (13.
Should Congress Prohibit All Human Cloning Experimentations? Pg. 48) God meant for us to reproduce sexually, if he wanted humans to clone themselves, he wouldn’t have given us reproductive organs. An offspring of two parents has the traits of both of them, and has a soul. A clone, made from one person, to be just like that person does not have a soul, and that person then loses their individuality.
People seem to think that a clone will be mentally distressed when it finds out that he or she is different from most of society. The National Bioethics Advisory Commission (NBAC) Found that concerns relating to the potential psychological harms to children and effects on the moral, religious, and cultural values of society (14. Should Human Cloning Be Allowed? Pg 1). The clone may be thought of as an outcast of society because he or she is different. A child may become suicidal or a dangerous part of our society.
Peoples assumption of the fear of producing an unstable clone into our society is definitely just speculation. Finally, the statement that identical twins are unique and new only in the sense of their new genetic combinations is absurd. I know identical twins myself that are extremely unique, and perhaps strive for differences. Constitutional law scholar Laurence Tribe said that human cloning would Alter the very meaning of humanity.
(15. Should Human Cloning Be Allowed? Pg. 1). It has been said that a human clone would not find the meaning of humanity and become unique.
Tribe is right that we strive to be unique because we are human, not because we have chromosomal DNA. Also, when a human being is cloned, its the DNA that is extracted and duplicated in another human being. That way personalities and actions are formed through past experiences; therefore one can clone someone, but that person will most likely not be anything like the original. After all, a clone wont be made of plastic, it will be a real person, raised and born. At this point, I believe we should not use cloning.
However, if we are to venture into cloning we must make many precautions. I think the best way to do this is to research the consequences. Yet, I do not believe cloning of animals is acceptable. Thus, I do not think we should conduct cloning experiment on animals. In summary, cloning is ethical, unless there is lack of respect for the lives of animals and humans, and for the ongoing inhabitation of life on earth. Science Essays
