An e-mail:
KJLo,
As a scientist, the recent cloning news is pretty depressing. We can and have debated the ethics of cloning and embryonic stem cell research (I stand on the same side as Benedict XVI), but some things really should be cut and dried. After reading more about it I realized that three of the clones were obtained from cells from children. Children! For a person to participate in a research study, they or their parents have to acknowledge they had informed consent. How do you give informed consent to clone your 2, 6 or 10 year old? Yikes!
Euphamism alert…
“Scientists say they know the word “cloning” raises fears of actual babies that are clones, but say they have no intention of doing such work.” – Then what are they! Oh yeah, blastocysts.
“Opinion polls have had varied results, often depending on the words that are used to describe the work. In one recent Gallup poll, just 38 percent of respondents approved of cloning embryos for research. Another poll, that used the term “somatic cell nuclear transfer” instead of “cloning” found that 72 percent approved.
Dr. Hwang’s paper goes a step further, using “S.C.N.T.” instead of “somatic cell nuclear transfer” and then dropping the first two letters and calling the process “N.T.”” — Let’s just call it Chris.
Somebody stop this thing from spinning, I want off!