A bit of advise for Ian Wilmut
2/09/2005
Apparently, the man in charge of cloning Dolly the sheep some years ago has received the go-ahead to clone human embryos for stem-cell research. And as expected, it appears that the US influence is going to create some controversy and deadlock.
I'm fairly neutral to the idea. I'm curious about where it will and could go, but I can see the reason for concern on both sides. And with the history of violence caused by right-wing activist groups (are we afraid to call our own people terrorists? After all, we harbor them.), it won't surprise me if something particularly nasty happens to the scientists or to the people involved. Still, I think the good does outweigh any ethical disputes this issue raises. But Ian Wilmut will still need to watch his back. It's one thing for religious nuts to bomb abortion clinics, and quite another when scientists 'tamper in God's domain.' This project should have the level of security allocated to atomic research, and that may not even be enough.
The conservative agenda is clearly the mainstream in this country, by a fine margin of course. The actions of right-wing extremists are justified in the eyes of the tyrannical 'moral majority.' The Iraq war is a prime example. The re-election of George W. Bush is the nexus for these people. They think it's their birthright to turn all of our common sense upside down in the name of God and 'freedom.'
So watch your back and do the best work you can do. That is all anyone can hope for.
posted by Edward Svengali @ Wednesday, February 09, 2005,
