Cloning Madness Cloning, a topic that has recently caused mayhem all over the world, is possible, but will it be here to stay? The astonishing news that scientists had cloned a sheep a couple of years ago sent people into panic at the thought that humans might be next. "Cloning is a radical challenge to the most fundamental laws of biology, so it's not unreasonable to be concerned that it might threaten human society and dignity" (Macklin 64). Since most of the opposition is coming from the pure disgust of actually being able to clone species, it makes it difficult for people to get away from the emotional side of the issue and analyze the major implications cloning would have for society. To better understand this controversial issue, the pros and cons of cloning will be discussed. In "Human Cloning? Don't Just Say No," Ruth Macklin states that while human cloning might not offer any benefits, no one has yet made a persuasive case that it would do any real harm either. Theologians contend that to clone a human would violate human dignity...But why suppose that cloned persons wouldn't share the same rights and dignity as the rest of us? ...There's the fear...that parents might clone a child to have 'spare parts' in case the original child needs an organ transplant. But parents of identical twins don't view one child as an organ farm for the other. Why should cloned children's parents be any different? ...Even if human cloning offers no obvious benefits to society why ban it? (64) Macklin also states that in a democratic society we don't usually pass laws outlawing things before there is actual or probable evidence of harm. The same laws that now protect human rights should govern human cloning. "A world not safe ... ... middle of paper ... ... March 10, 1997: 59-63. Kluger, Jeffrey. "Will We Follow the Sheep?" Time March 10, 1997: 69-72. Kolata, Gina. "Scientist Urge Senators Not to Rush to Ban Human Cloning." The New York Times March 13, 1997. Lewis, Thomas. "The Hazards of Science." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 236-242. Macklin, Ruth. "Human Cloning? Don't Just Say No." U.S. News & World Report March 10, 1997: 64. Nash, J. Madeline. "The Age of Cloning." Time March 17, 1997: 62-72. Savage, David. "3 to 5 Year Ban on Any Human Cloning Is Urged." The Los Angeles Times June 8, 1997. Shelley, Mary. "Frankenstein." The Presence of Others. Eds. Andrea A. Lunsford, John J. Ruszkiewicz. New York: St. Martin's Press, 1997. 230-235. Stipp, David. "The Real Biotech Revolution." Fortune March 31, 1997: 54.
One of the most controversial topics in the United States in recent years has been the route which should be undertaken in overhauling the healthcare system for the millions of Americans who are currently uninsured. It is important to note that the goal of the Affordable Care Act is to make healthcare affordable; it provides low-cost, government-subsidized insurance options through the State Health Insurance Marketplace (Amadeo 1). Our current president, Barack Obama, made it one of his goals to bring healthcare to all Americans through the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010. This plan, which has been termed “Obamacare”, has come under scrutiny from many Americans, but has also received a large amount of support in turn for a variety of reasons. Some of these reasons include a decrease in insurance discrimination on the basis of health or gender and affordable healthcare coverage for the millions of uninsured. The opposition to this act has cited increased costs and debt accumulation, a reduction in employer healthcare coverage options, as well as a penalization of those already using private healthcare insurance.
Moncrieff, A. R. (2013). The Individual Mandate as HealthCare Regulation: What the Obama Administration Should Have Said in NFIB Sebelius. America Journal of Law & Medicine,39, 539-572.
Ghosh, C. (2013). Affordable Care Act: Strategies to Tame the Future. Physician Executive, 39(6), 68-70.
McGee, Glenn, (2001). Primer on Ethics and Human Cloning. ActionBioscience.org. Retrieved October 3, 2004, from: http://www.actionbioscience.org/biotech/mcgee.html
In the past, cloning always seemed like a faraway scientific fantasy that could never really happen, but sometimes reality catches up to human ingenuity and people discover that a fictional science is all too real. Such was the fate of cloning when Dolly, a cloned sheep, came into existence during 1997, as Beth Baker explains (Baker 45). In addition to opening the eyes of millions of people, the breakthrough raised many questions about the morality of cloning humans. The greatest moral question is, when considering the pros against the cons, if human cloning is an ethical practice. There are two different types of cloning and both entail completely different processes and both are completely justifiable at the end of the day.
“Human beings are not meant to lose their anonymity and privacy,” Sarah Chalke. When using the web, web users’ information tend to be easily accessible to government officials or hackers. In Nicholas Carr’s “Tracking Is an Assault on Liberty,” Jim Harpers’ “Web Users Get As Much As They Give,” and Lori Andrews “Facebook is Using You” the topic of internet tracking stirred up many mixed views; however, some form of compromise can be reached on this issue, laws that enforces companies to inform the public on what personal information is being taken, creating advisements on social media about how web users can be more cautious to what kind of information they give out online, enabling your privacy settings and programs, eliminating weblining,
Brannigan, C. Michael. Ethical Issues in Human Cloning. New York: Seven Bridges Press, Chatham House Publishers, 2001.
For years, the prospect of human cloning was fodder for outrageous science-fiction stories and nothing more. However, in more recent times, human cloning has moved significantly closer to becoming a reality. Accordingly, the issue has evoked a number of strong reactions, both praising and condemning the procedure. The fact that human cloning not just affects human lives indirectly but actually involves tinkering with human creation has forced human cloning into a position of controversy. The progress of the issue of human cloning, then, has been shaped not only by the abilities and resources of scientists but by public opinion and by governmental regulation that has resulted from public pressure.
Works Cited for: Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. ed. a. a. a. a. a J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W. Norton, 1996.
National Bioethics Advisory Commision. "The Risks of Human Cloning Outweigh the Benefits." Biomedical Ethics Opposing Viewpoints. Ed. Tamara L. Roleff. San Diego: Greenhaven Press, Inc., 1998. 23-35. Print.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein: A Norton Critical Edition. Ed. J. Paul Hunter. New York: W. W.
Cloning is the process of manipulating DNA and embryonic stem cells to create an identical living organism. The purpose of cloning is to find medical treatments and to reduce human suffering (Rosalyn). Is it wrong? Is it disrespectful toward nature itself? According to Sir John Gordon, cloning is not as playing God it is simply copying “what nature has already produced” (Gordon). This new development established a series of debates because if there are technologies that enable humans to artificially create mammal, sooner or later the same process will be performed on human. This points to the question, should human cloning be banned? (Cloning: An Overview). Even though there are numerous critics who believe human cloning violates human dignity, there should be an acceptance because it can be a solution to those who are affected with various diseases, it is essential for understanding our ancestors or other prehistoric species, and it benefits parents who lost their beloved children, or those who cannot have children.
Shelley, Mary. Frankenstein. Ed. D.L. Macdonald and Kathleen Scherf. Orchard Park, NY: Broadview Press, 1999.
2) To establish the expression patterns and regulations of the genes using available microarray data.