Human Cloning

[.::v0kaledGe::.]

Hey guys. I'm doing a project on Human Cloning and my slant on it is definitely con. To spare you the many details of my essay, I would like to know if any of you out there has any help or advice for me on how to write an introduction to my essay because that is part I'm struggling with. My teacher insists on having the date, person, place and every single detail of where I got my statistics, case studies or quotes. I'm having a lot of difficulty finding where my statistics come from. Any help would be appreciated. It's due on Monday.

[emily]

you mean citing all the stuff you used? well, where did you get it in the first place? use some quote on cloning from some famous person. maybe albert einstein had views on cloning.

[Axtech]

Ack, I can't help you with the con. I'm all for it.

Well, I'm for some forms of it, such as cloning organs for yourself. We could greatly lengthen the lives of humans through this.

Another good thing is for people who can't have children, or for same sex couples. If they want a child who can carry on the DNA of both parents, they can do it through cloning.

I did a project on human cloning, and I was pro.

I found some good stuff here: www.clonaid.com That's the company that's been on the news a lot recently because they've cloned the first human. Unfortunately, the media has taken away all of their credibility by focusing on their religious beliefs, and has labeled them as a "cult". They are far from a clut. Trust me. I did a lot of research into their religion, and it's far from the definition of a cult.

[Axtech]

Also, you can find a lot of info on www.kurzweilai.net (Ray Kurzweil's website [Ray wrote "The Age of Spiritual Machines", which OLP loosly based their 4th album, Spiritual Machines on, for anyone that didn't know]).

[emily]

I doubt they even cloned a human. Last year scientists said some unknown company would claim they had cloned a human, but would stall and not tell who the mother was, or where the baby was located. its crap. we can barely clone an animal without defects and make it have regular longevity, i doubt we can clone a human.

[Axtech]

I believe that they have done it. They aren't giving the mother's name or the location because she would be bombarded by the media.

[emily]

When I see it, I'll believe it.

[Joey]

That's a disturbing thought .. I mean they can't even clone an animal properly without things going horribly wrong, why even attempt it on humans?

[Axtech]

Yeah, same with me. I mean, I believe them, but I'm not going to run through the streets screaming "The world is coming to and end! Stop playing god!" (erm... that was to Emily)

What I'm waiting for is the Therapeutic Cloning:

Therapeutic cloning can be used to fight deseases and create organs artificially. Once specialized cells can be derived from cloned embryos the following diseases threatening millions of people on earth can be treated:
• Brain disorders like Parkinson and Alzheimer thanks to derived brain cells
• Diabetes thanks to derived insulin-producing pancreatic islet cells
• Spinal cord damage thanks to derived nerve cells
• Autoimmune disorders such as multiple sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis thanks to derived cells of blood and bone marrow
• Cancer
In addition, it will help to save the lives of the thousands of people worldwide waiting for an organ transplantation by helping to create artificial organs. Not only is it difficult today to obtain an organ but even if organs are available many are being rejected by the body because of incompatability; let alone the brutal way some organs are being obtained i.e. by buying them from people in third world countries or even extracting them without the donor’s consent ! Therapeutic cloning will eventually provide genetically 100% compatible organs such as livers, kidneys etc. and therefore save the lives of those who would perish without it.

[emily]

That I could deal with. Creating organs. Only for people who don't ruin their lungs or liver by smoking or drinking. I really just don't see the point of cloning a human, though.

[Axtech]

Here's the point of cloning a human (I'm so informative )

Reproductive human cloning will help:
• Infertile couples: we have received many requests from infertile couples who cannot have children even after years of infertility treatments. For those people cloning is the only way to have a child of their own genetic offspring.
• Homosexuals: they cannot have a child today that is 100% related to them genetically but human cloning will provide this possibility for them.
• Families who lost a beloved relative: human cloning can give life a second time to the same genetic code who has died at an early age for example.

[Axtech]

I don't agree with the last point. It wouldn't be right. I mean, you lose a baby, and get a new one that's biologically the same. But, it wouldn't be the same. I don't know how souls and/or consciousness works, but I wouldn't feel right doing that. It wouldn't be the same person. It's just creepy.

[Joey]

I don't agree with the last point. at all. I've lost plenty of beloved relatives and seeing a clone of them walking around would cause more pain, not make it better. That's just wrong. Horribly wrong.

[Axtech]

Yeah, the last point's really wrong.

[Joey]

Also, more emphasis should be put on ADOPTION not human cloning if you can't have kids .. I mean sure it sucks if you can't have your own kids but there's thousands upon thousands of children who are already alive and in need of homes .. take care of them before cloning even more

[emily]

But people are always going to want children who have their DNA, so the child can actually be a part of them.

[Joey]

Life sucks. You can't always get what you want. Move on and help a child that NEEDS it .. I mean I'm sorry if that's harsh but that's how I feel. This is the field I'm trying to get into .. working with kids in foster care and I want to become a relief foster mom someday .. I mean I have sympathy for people who can't have their own children but until more is done to take care of the already too many unwanted children in this world it's just selfish to me.

[Axtech]

Maybe we can pre-clone people to grow up and adopt children.

[emily]

Selfish to take on a LIFE that other people couldn't handle. I don't think it's too selfish to not adopt another kid. It's not like a stinkin goldfish that dies in 2 years. What pisses me off is the shitty stuff adoption agencies pull. One girl I horseback ride with has a sister who is 16. She is Korean and the mother and father adopted the girl (Rachel) thinking she had no problems. Turns out that she is both mentally an physically retarded. She can't even go to the bathroom by herself. But if the family doesn't take her, she'll be sent back to Korea.

[Joey]

Selfish to take on a LIFE that other people couldn't handle.

There are many reasons why a child is in foster care or needs to be adopted .. 1 being that maybe the parents couldn't handle the responsibility yet, but there are many other reasons beyond both the child and the parents control as to why the child is in foster care to begin with. Does that child deserve any less because of that? No .. they deserve more.

Not too many adoption agencies simply hand off a child without the parents knowing much about that child before they take him/her in.