Do you agree or disagree with this why or why not?

Question

The american Medical Association holds four points of reason why cloning SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE.
1) there are unknown physical harms introduced by cloning
2) unknown psychocial harms introduced by cloning, including violetions of autonomy and privacy
3) impacts on familial and societal relations
4) potential effects on the human gene pool

This is my homework and I did do it I just want to see what other people think about cloning

Answer 1

Agree, we shouldn't, we are all unique for a reason. It is not our job to change that. That belongs to either divine forces of evolution.

Answer 2

The AMA is completely correct in that these are valid concerns that should probably be addressed before significant cloning activities occur.

BUT if they use those arguments to suggest that no cloning or even research should EVER occur for those reasons, well... they can only be wrong.

Yes, there are unknown harms. But since when did the unknown ever stop us from doing anything? Quite the contrary - when you don't know something, that's EXACTLY when you should be exploring it!

They are also correct that there are potentially bad effects that we can think of for the human gene pool. There are also potentially good ones. Again, if nobody takes any risks, then nothing can ever get done. Potential is a reason to be CAREFUL, but not to STOP!

So I can agree. To a point. It is WAY too soon for commerical cloning. It is exactly the right time for cloning research.

To be blunt, there has never been a technology that has been discovered and not used. We will use it or someone else will. If they can reap the massive potential benefits of cloning while we choose to pretend they can't happen, then we will be left behind. That is all but certain.

Answer 3

Okay, I'll speak up.

I disagree.

Let's first take a historical perspective.

People raised such a ruckus back when in vitro fertilization was new. It would destroy society as we knew it! People who can't have babies can't for a reason! It's meddling with Nature, it's meddling with God, it's meddling with evolution. Has society changed one whit as a result? Has God smited (smote?) us? Do we have 'baby farms'? Have ANY of the irrational, inflammatory, and media-driven fears come true? No - and thousands of happy parents have healthy kids they couldn't have had without this technology.

Okay, you say, cloning is different. I agree, it is.

But let's deal with the four points of 'reason'.

1) unknown physical harms - alright, Dolly aged faster than normal. I understand that this problem with cloning has been rectified? So, what physical harms? This is their one objection that does have some rationality to it, in my mind. We do not know. However, we can see from cloning sheep, cows, dogs, frogs ... this is unlikely.
2) Violations of autonomy and privacy - a clone is nothing more than an identical twin born years later. It's simple to deal with. A person is a person. I don't think anyone is suggesting raising colonies of clones as organ-donors for their originators (there's an interesting fiction book called ... rock me slowly, or something like that). A newborn clone should be treated as any other baby. Duh.
3) Familial and social relations, see above. A cloned baby is a baby. Yes, 'parents' raising clones would need to be aware that a clone in genes doesn't mean 'same person'.
4) human gene pool? Puh-lease. We're not talking about whole armies of clones. We're not talking about one person being cloned 350 000 001 times.

So ... there. I totally disagree.

(editing to say that okay, I do agree with much of what Dr.Y says. Research is needed before the go-ahead is given. I'm objecting to the AMA saying 'no' to even research)

Answer 4

to help with your homework, you should look at the positive arguments, then decide where you think cloning sits in society.

the arguments would go something like

1 there are physical improvements to wellbeing that can be introduced by cloning

2 violations of autonomy and privacy could be managed (you need to say how)

3 positive impacts

4 human gene pool could be improved by understanding congenital issues and addressing them for the better

Apart from that help, you need to do this yourself, trust me you'll get more out of it if you do.

DISCLAIMER

I neither agree nor disagree with any of this !!

Answer 5

I agree.
I think that this is all to soon for the human race. For me, I wouldn't want to go to someones funeral, and then 5-10yrs down the road run into their clone, too creepy for me!

Answer 6

I agree because of all the reasons you listed