We Should Not Fear Cloning Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Topics

We Should Not Fear Cloning    With the successful cloning of animals, many people have reacted with frightening and usually uninformed ideas about what cloning is and what researchers hope to achieve through it. Many wish to ban all cloning without even looking at the positive things that cloning will be able to provide for us in the future and with continued research. Like any new technology, people are at first afraid, but this is no excuse to abandon research that could one day save millions of people through cloned organs or give an alternative and safe means of reproduction to sterile couples. This fear has only been furthered by the media sensationalizing the advancement and tossing "Brave New World" into every headline. The uninformed also look to popular culture instead of facts to argue against cloning. Jurassic Park, Frankenstein and The Island of Doctor Moreau have shown to the majority of American the dark, evil side of cloning, which is not the aim of scientists and at present not technologically pos sible. It is obvious that we must act now and set guidelines, both ethical and legislative, but we should not ban cloning completely without further research. The picture of an amazingly rich person cloning the perfect army of soldiers or breeding a nation of subservient clones has been fed to the people through newspapers and the nightly news. What most people do not realize is that clones are not grown in a petri dish. Clones still have to be protected in a womb for nine months and be born, just like any other person. It would be far easier for an ultra rich man to produce an army or a group of slaves "the old fashion way." As a society and as humans, we should worry about the slavery and despotism that already ... ...e fears." CNNfn. 1997. http://www.cnnfn.com/hotstories/bizbuzz/wires/9702/25/cloning_wg/ (28 Feb. 1997) Glassman, James. "Should We Fear Dolly?" The Washington Post. 1997. http://washingtonpost.com:80/wp-srv/WPlate/1997-02/25/012L-022597-idx.html (28 Feb. 1997) Darrow, Siobhan. "Should we be cloning around?" CNN Interactive. 1997. (28 Feb. 1997) Scheinin, Richard. "Religion grapples with man-as-creator." Mercury Center. 1997. (28 Feb. 1997) Coghlan, Andy. "One small step for a sheep." New Scientist. 1997. http://www.newscientist.com/clone/smallstep.html (28 Feb. 1997) Concar, David. "The point of no return." New Scientist. 1997. http://www.newscientist.com/clone/comment.html ( 28 Feb. 1997) Coghlan, David and Andy Concar. "How the clock of life was turned back." New Scientist. 1997. http://www.newscientist.com/clone/comment.html (28 Feb. 1997)