Human Clone example essay topic

Human Cloning: A Blessing for Helpless Couples "Should human cloning be banned?" The response to this controversial issue may vary from person to person based on their moral and / or religious beliefs. When viewed from my eyes, as a married infertile woman, human cloning would not appear as horrible and degrading as majority of the people believe it is. People may assume different meanings of the word "cloning". However, an expert, Ruth Hubbard, a professor emeritus of biology at Harvard University who also serves on the Council for Responsible Genetics clarifies the misconceptions by saying: " 'Cloning' in the science-fiction sense of the word - the production of an exact, 100-percent identical carbon copy - is not possible". (Lee, Jean K. 1997) So, the fact that cloning will create duplicates of the donor, with the same mental and physical capacities, reducing the value of an individual's life can be ruled out. Moreover, Identical twins have more in common than what a clone can have with his parent donor.

I happened to have a friend who had identical twins. I thought they would behave the same, think the same and be identical in every aspect. But this was not the case. Both had different personality's inspite of being raised in the same house, culture, and customs.

Why would anyone think that the clones will have no individuality when they will be raised in an entirely different environment than that experienced by their mother or father as the case might be? "Just as twins have the same genetic code yet individual bodies and souls, a clone and her parent / twin would have the same genetic code, yet each would have her own individual body and soul". (Francis J. Beckwith, PhD, Citizen Magazine, March 1998) So, why say that clones will have no identity and will merely be a replica of just another human being? I believe human cloning would put an end to the emptiness in the life of infertile couples by fulfilling their desire of having children. A woman always wants to experience motherhood in her life. I hear the first cries of my own born baby in my dreams but when I open my eyes, the silence in the room scares me.

When I heard that there exists a technique, human cloning, that can make me a mother, tears of joy filled my eyes. The news has brought my hopes high but to hear that people want to outlaw this technology was very disturbing. I realize that many religions are strongly against disrupting the balance in the nature by "playing God". I disagree. It might disturb the balance in the nature for a while, but because there will always exist people in favour and against cloning, another balance will soon be established with some people having cloned babies. "Any time an additional human being is reproduced, regardless of method, the result is a human being", said Greg Kou kl, president of the Christian apologetics organization Stand to Reason.

"It's not a faux human being, a physical facade with nothing inside. A human clone would be a bona fide human being, and all humans have souls that bear God's image". Moreover, no one can even come closer to the power of God. When computers were invented, people said "Are they going to replace human mind?" Well, ask yourself, can they? I don't think so. Similarly scientist are just digging more information to help people like me and not taking the role of God.

Look around, how many people really follow their religion from head to toe? And how can one's religious belief snatch the right of people who disagree with them? Back in the days when most of the religions were discovered, nothing such as computers, printers, photo-copiers and even human cloning could have occurred to them. But we are completely satisfied and are using all these developments to our advantage, then why condemn cloning humans when it can be benefited from. Only if you could experience the pain in waking up every morning with the realization that you are never going to be a parent, you would understand the difference human cloning would make in the life of a childless couple. Opposing this issue, many people would ask: Why want a child by means of cloning?

How about adopting some of the orphans and helping humanity? And others might say I am being too selfish. Well, if you consider me "selfish" than all those couples that plan a pregnancy should be considered the same because they too prefer "having" children over adoptions. Infertile women and men would also want to pass their genes to the next generation just like others. The only difference is that they will be willing to have children through cloning. Is it so wrong to say "I want to be a mother of my own child"?

And if you say that there are already many people coming to this world, so cloning is unnecessary and should be outlawed, I would say no law can limit the freedom of having children whether it be by cloning or by conventional means. I am not overlooking the fact that cloning can have negative effects in the future. In fact, everything has a good and a bad side to it. For example, think of computers and the internet. Our tasks were made easier, and frankly everybody was pleased. But what happened when people started to misuse their rights by means of "hacking"?

Did anyone ban the computers? Certainly not, their advantages were outweighing the disadvantages and people started to find ways of preventing such acts. Then surely, we can limit our use to human cloning by enforcing laws and regulations in order to ensure that the rights are not exploited by any means. One would also argue that because the cloning procedure is so complicated, it can result in the child's suffering from birth defects and as well as pose health risks to the woman carrying the baby. Yes, it does. Nothing is perfect.

There are abnormalities in natural pregnancies too like some babies are abnormal, some die in the womb, some die right after their birth and there are cases when either the mother or the baby's life can be saved. So people opposing the idea of cloning should widen their vision and see that nothing in this world is only good or only bad and that's the way society works. We still learn to live with it and adapt it in our life style and so should be human cloning. Many of the other objections hold that cloning should be prohibited on the basis that clones will be treated as slaves or, worse, chopped up and sold as spare parts.

These possibilities exist even if cloning is not implemented. Aren't the poorer children still under slavery today? Don't we all hear stories about abusive parents? Cloning cannot be blamed for all this already happening. No one can chop a child to be sold as spare parts whether the child is a clone or not. I find this objection ridiculous.

No mother or father will allow anyone to use their kids as spare parts. Furthermore, organs can be cloned separately without cloning humans. So there is no need to go through the expensive cloning procedure just to kill them later and use their organs. We need to learn how to adapt to the rapidly advancing technology as we have done from generations to generations. Cloning humans is not a crime when used properly and for right reasons. Restrictions can be placed and they should be.

I don't see any argument strong enough to convince me to give up a chance at motherhood without even trying. I encourage everyone to look at the positive side of human cloning. It can not only help infertile couples but also provide a new path way for preventing the transfer of genetic diseases or maybe provide a cure for AIDS. Everything has its side effects and if I am ready to give a shot at it, knowing I can even die, it will be worth it because leading a life with no one to carry on your generation, no one to call you "mom" is far more painful than death.

Bibliography

o Cloning Humans: A Bad Idea By Francis J. Beckwith, PhD Citizen Magazine, March 1998 URL: web o Cloning under the microscope Saturday, February 14, 1998 Published at 08: 11 GMT URL: web o ESSAY- Twin freaks? Human cloning not all bad By Ronald Bailey Published January 9, 2003 in issue #0201 of the Hook URL: web o Panel Discusses Ethical Issues Of Cloning at Crowded Forum By Jean K.
Lee, associate news editor. Published on May 9, 1997.