Creation of a Monster

Could it ever be ethical to make human clones? It was once said by Thomas Fuller (B8) that "ethics makes one's soul mannerly and wise, but logic is the armory of reason, furnished with all offensive and defensive weapons". In order to fully understand the drawbacks to cloning we must utilize our logic and see that cloning is not a step forward, but yet a step back in our society. Some say that by achieving human cloning we are taking a step into the future with remarkable benefits and that cloning technology can help "perfect" gene therapy, but what about the health risks from mutation of genes, emotional and social risks and the possible take over of technology? (B3) Sure the idea of making a perfectly healthy person sounds ideal, yet is it our place to take over the natural process of existence?

Cloning has always been considered science fiction. The images of humans rolling along on a conveyor belt being created one by one each looking like the previous design, conveys an image of robots being manufactured. While cloning humans maybe seen as a thing of the future, we have to take into consideration the fact that cloning humans is not distant in the way our society is forming and instead of having a low chance it may indeed have a high chance of becoming legal. (B4) The formation of an abnormal child would be the most horrendous result of a clone gone wrong. This is a consideration that must be taken into affect studying how many animal attempts in cloning have created disfigured monsters with severe abnormalities. However these problems will not likely appear until after birth. Though the child at birth may appear normal we would have to wait twenty years to make sure that there are no hormonal imbalances of the child growing too rapidly. This could occur when the genetic material used from an adult ages too quickly when the child is born. Meaning that the child maybe thirty years old at the time of birth. The infamous sheep Dolly took 277 efforts and nearly 30 unsuccessful pregnancies to get one success in a clone. (B5)Why would we take that risk on humans to repeat the same calamity by putting both the mother and the potential fetus in an unacceptably high risk of injury? If this is what happens with animals it is quite possible that it could happen to humans as well. If this did occur what would we do with the creation? Dr. Patrick Dixon who is featured on the website www.humancloning.org says that "every time a clone is made it is like throwing the diceÐ'..." We really would have no control over the likelihood of clones with severe medical problems. We must understand that humans are conscious beings; we are not made to be specimens of science projects that can astray into grotesque creatures that need to be exterminated at a later time like termites in a wood panel.

"As soon as there is life there is danger" (B9). This famous quote said by Ralph Waldo Emerson can be applied to the emotional and social threats applied to cloning humans. The one genuine thing that we hold complete control over today is our own individuality. It takes many of us years to develop into the person and character that we would like to become. Through a journey of knowledge and experiences we acquire our morals and values. Now when one is cloned they lose their individuality because they were made to be like another. Would they have their own individualism or die striving to be like the one they were chosen to mirror? Envision that a family clones their dying son. Their only reasoning behind the cloning is not wanting to cope with the loss of the dying young man, yet the cloned child would merely be a replacement or substitute and not an individual. Such control by one soul over another is unsuited with the ethical notion of human freedom, in the sense that each person's genetic identity should be unpredictable and unplanned. In essence we are denying the clone of actually become who they want to be. It is an abuse of the uniqueness of a human life, which God has prearranged for each of us and to no one else. The social risks involved are those of subhuman existence. With cloning there would be soulless entities roaming with a high risk of exploitation. There have been notions created that "cloned humans could become property and not souls."(B2) This would cause the return of slavery which was outlawed as inhumane. Clones may simply be used as our working tools and not as our companions as most would assume.

A new poll from Johns Hopkins University shows that 76 percent of Americans are against scientific efforts to clone humans. (B5) This may be accomplished from the psychological risks involved. What would occur if ones mother was cloned? Now your mother would be carrying her clone in her womb. Would the child that is born be your mother or would she be your sister? Just the thought or notion of this whole idea makes one