Jan 07 2009
Playing God? Disability and Genetics…
Yesterday, in the midst of all the drama that was happening for me personally, my assistant and I watched a Discovery Science show hosted by Dr. Michio Kaku on the ramifications of the Human Genome Project. We were sitting around discussing the ramifications of mapping the genome from genetic discrimination to cloning. As a disabled person, I am already aware that certain people wish to eliminate my kind from the spectrum of human kind. I know that sounds dramatic but look at the increased rates of abortion when fetal abnormalities are detected. I want to tell people, “Newsflash you can’t eliminate disabled people from the human spectrum”. Hitler tried and Margaret Sanger tried. Although I prefer to remember her for her role in creating good birth control methods which are utilized by many women to this day rather than her eugenically based ideology. Neither of them succeeded. Thank God. Disabled people have existed for millions of years. The Neanderthals used to take care of their disabled relatives and we’re supposed to be the civilized ones (but that’s another blog). We will continue to do so unless you (and this is a scary though) hire mercenaries to find us and kill us. Even in that situation, I’m sure some of us will survive.
But I digress. Back to Michio Kaku and the conversation I had with my assistant. She and I both agree that the idea or cloning a human is at best morally questionable and at worst morally wrong. However, I have no problem with them growing organs or body parts in a laboratory as long as that’s as far as it goes. I agree that I’m not entirely sure once we open that door we’ll be able to stop scientific “progress” in the direction of cloning. However, I know that many people die every year waiting for there to be enough human organs available for donation. Many people still want their relatives to die with all their organs intact. I don’t know why, but they do. It’s as if the person will actually need them where they’re going. In my opinion, that’s hopefully Heaven. I see no reason why someone else should die because someone’s relatives are too selfish or too overwrought to donate their organs. According to Dr. Kaku, this technology would eliminate organ donation rejection and that’s a good thing as being on immunosuppressant’s for your entire life is no fun. Trust me, I know and I only take one pill of it a day.
But maybe this is all playing God a little too much. But take that logic to the next step. Were we playing God too much when Jonas Salk invented the Polio vaccine? I don’t think so and since we’re still here God apparently agrees with me. Trust me. If we get too uppity, I’m sure he’ll deal with it in ways we don’t even want to think about. Remember the tower of Babel and Noah’s flood?
I hope people respond to this. I’m eager for others opinions.
