Dolly The Drug Thalidomide

In 1996 Dolly the sheep was born. However, she was not born like most other sheep. Instead, Dolly was cloned from the DNA of an adult sheep. Although Dolly seemed healthy, she died in 2003 after being diagnosed with a progressive lung disease. Dolly was the only sheep out of 277 attempts that made it to a live birth. Would it be safe to take that chance when experimenting with cloning human babies? Some people seem to believe so, and agree with the idea of cloning to have a child. These people may have been parents who lost a child, or who want children of their own, but are unable to have them the conventional way. Depending on the circumstances, some people believe that cloning is ethically acceptable, while others do not. Tenzin Gyasto, …show more content…
However, by making these advances in science, the rest of the world will change forever. As can be seen with Dolly the sheep and the drug Thalidomide, there can be many errors, and in some cases serious consequences. Simply put, people do not know enough about these technologies to be using them on humans. The consequences that these genetic changes might have on future generations is unknown. Is it safe to take these risks? Understandably, there are people who we can sympathize for. A couple who is unable to have a baby of their own, a family member in dire need of a transplant, or curing a genetic deficiency. However, when genetic technologies like cloning are being used for purely aesthetic purposes, there are no benefits for the child. Many parents believe that they will be helping their child by selecting traits that will make their child excel, such as intelligence or strength. As the Dalai Lama states, “Whatever inequalities there may be between individuals in their circumstances —such as wealth, class, health, and so on — we are all born with a basic equality of our human nature, with certain potentialities; certain cognitive, emotional, and physical abilities…” (136). The Dalai Lama then goes on to say, “In my native Tibet, the value of a person rests not on physical appearance, not on intellectual or athletic achievement, but on the basic, inane capacity for compassion in all human beings” (137). The world needs to regulate the use of these genetic technologies and ensure that they are only used in cases where it is the only option. Creating designer babies, or using genetic technologies for aesthetic or selfish purposes is generating negative ramifications in all aspects of life. In the words of The Dalai Lama, “At the social level, it will reinforce — even perpetuate — our disparities, and it will make their reversal much more