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Cloning
a reality for Dolly the sheep's creator
Human
cloning is now a reality. This procedure
not only divides the medical community over
the question of ethics, it also cuts through
America's opinions to our very heart.
Human
cloning has been researched and attempted
in a few European countries and has now
made its way into Britain. Professor Ian
Wilmut of the Roslin Institute in Edinburgh
has been licensed to obtain stem cells for
research into motor neuron disease (MND).
Wilmut
is the guy who cloned a sheep and named
it Dolly. He plans to use the same technique
to extract genetic material from the skin
or blood cells of a human patient suffering
from an inherited form of MND and place
it in an egg whose nucleus has been removed.
The egg will then be stimulated to develop
into an embryo and allowed to develop for
about six days, then the stem cells are
extracted. Scientists hope to use this research
to understand diseases better. They want
to find cures to genetic diseases like Alzheimer's
and Parkinson's disease.
There
are two opposing sides to this issue. On
the political right we have the fundamentalist
Christian Coalition wackos who would love
to mold the country to their values and
beliefs.
President
George W. Bush wants to amend the United
States constitution to limit our rights
and wants to make abortion illegal. This
is a system taking away our rights to keep
us free, and it makes no sense to me.
The
left end of the political spectrum is jammed
full of bleeding-heart liberals who want
to create human clones, three-armed goat-boy
mutants and who knows what else with the
stem cell research, just because it's their
right to do what they want with their own
genetic material. They merely see this as
a chance to wave their civil rights flag
against anyone who doesn't like their ideals.
They'll just attempt to mask their agenda
as a fight for justice and human rights.
It
is simply a question of personal ethics.
Therein lies the problem; there are so many
different points of view that it is impossible
to form one answer that suits us all. But
that's what makes life so great; we are
different and have conflicting ideals.
Even
the crazy fundamentalist idiots have to
agree with me on that. They are free to
formulate their own opinion, that's the
cool thing about this country. So let everyone
else have the same rights, you closed-minded
borderline bigots.
So
why not conduct stem cell research? If this
works and a full life could be restored
to those suffering from disease, isn't it
worth the chance. The ethics of stem cell
research are just that simple and just that
complicated.
It
is also a question of fear. Some believe
this research could be used to create humans
for a variety of reasons like super-soldiers,
replacing a loved one or maybe creating
the "master race." Hollywood has
made millions of dollars with that idea,
and they will probably continue to play
on America's insecurities and fears by creating
more of the same.
Hey
right-wingers, chill out. Nobody is creating
the "master race" just yet. But
we could offer so much to someone who can't
remember their own children or who have
lost their motor functions and feel trapped
in their own body, no longer able to even
use the toilet by themselves.
Stem
cell research is an amazing opportunity
that could bring so much hope to a world
riddled with disease and pain. How could
we let this pass us by? God gave us all
brains, right? So let's use that squishy
gray matter for the betterment of all humanity.
I am glad Britain is able to be on the forefront
of stem cell research and grant Wilmut the
license to conduct his world-changing research.
Don't
hide behind political ideals or misguided
religious delusions. Think for yourself,
find your own answers and I think you will
see how important this research is. It could
save and empower millions of people. It
could be used to help your grandparents,
parents, siblings, friends or you. We'll
never know until we try.
Matt
Logan is a senior journalism major at CSULB.
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