Cloning—dangerous science

    Whether life is a gift of love or just one more industrial product, it is more valuable than most things.

    Now cloning has opened Pandora’s box to challenge the very existence of the sanctity of individual life.

    Whether society is ready or not, human cloning is on its way.

    Ian Wilmut, scientist and animal cloning expert, cloned Dolly, a sheep, July 5, 1996. Because his work and findings had to go through proper scientific channels, the cloning was not announced until Feb. 27, 1997.

    Wilmut said his reason for cloning the sheep was to help farmers genetically improve sheep. He was not trying to help sheep have genetically related children.

    Society should not place faith in cloning as a fertility cure. For fertility, one needs egg and sperm from donors to produce a clone, as with other reproductive methods.

    Scientists have not yet perfected animal cloning. Half the cloned pregnancies fail; one-fifth of the lambs die from abnormalities. Why would society risk doing that to a human child?

    If society can afford to pay for something, we usually get it; no questions asked.

    Stopping one line of research could stop or slow down another. Embryonic stem cells eventually turn into every kind of tissue, including brain, muscle and nerve.

    If scientists could find a way to harness life-saving cells, the cells could serve as potential cures for Parkinson’s, Alzheimer’s and other diseases.

    Much medical research or technology is trial and error, which unfortunately is disastrous and potentially costly in lost lives.

    But cloning research can have positive results; some people may need this technique to complete the life cycle and reproduce.

    Society can learn a great deal from Wilmut, who said, “Cloning cannot make you immortal because, clearly, the clone is a different person.”

    Grieving parents may be confused about technology; even if it works, it is not resurrection.

    When news gets out about the first baby clone, the meaning of what it is to be human will change forever.

    From a telephone poll of 1,015 Americans taken by Yankelovich Partners, 7 percent believed cloning humans is a good idea, and 90 percent believed it is a bad idea.

    Reasons people are against cloning include religious beliefs, interference with human distinctiveness/individuality, questionable purposes and technology needed to perform the cloning.

    Before scientists go full steam with human cloning, maybe they should perfect cloning in animals. The loss of human lives should not be in the name of science.

    Are scientists playing God with the manipulation of human cells? A field where society places so much faith in medical research sets the stage for profiteers.

    Life is full of uncertainties when we as a society explore our universe or a single cell.

    It would be nice to know cloning always would serve the good of mankind.