Akomachi's Speech On Cloning
 

 

       How far should science go?
       As an American Indin, I have a different perspective of  how civilization, technology, and science affect the quality of our lives.
      My Cheyenne and Chahta ancestors knew little of science. Their lives were filled with physical hardship and were often cut short by disease or injury.  We had no fear of death. We understand that the change-of-worlds is a natural occurance.  Prolonging life at any cost is unnatural.
      The citizens of modern civilization are obsessed with prolonging their lives.  Their fear of death drives them to exist as long as possible, despite pain or confinement.
Medical technology has progressed so rapidly it has been unable to guarantee life's quality for its citizens.  On the one hand- it makes advancements to make life physically easier, while on the other- the by-products of those advancements threaten the existance of its citizens.
          Science is like an explorer in a dark cave with a flickering flashlight.  It glimpses  the beauty and wonder of the cave interior, without examining the floor for the unseen pits ahead.  For example, nuclear power was thought to be the final solution to our energy needs.  Disregarding its military applications, the pure scientists forged ahead.  It wasn't until  later we realized we had another problem.  In its rush to progress, science had forgotten to examine the by-products of its achievement.   Today the storing, transportation, and dumping of nuclear waste is one of the most difficult problems we face.(unless there is an Indin Reservation nearby!)
        A second example of science without forsight is the development and use of antibiotics.  How many lives have been saved by these discoveries?  Yet today their mis-use is creating resistant diseases which ultimately may cost more lives than were saved.
        So many examples of science running ahead of itself exist, we could discuss them all day.  The  pure scientists argue that solutions for all these problems will be found- given time.  But science is like a child that believes in its ability to accomplish anything without assessing its true capabilities.  Simply because the unthinkable hasn't happened does not mean that it cannot.  Might as well say, "because I have not broken my arm- it is unbreakable!"Science is still in its infancy--filled with the pride of unproven confidence.
        Let us examine the results of cloning humans for the  reasons now offered by the scientific establishment- the harvesting of replacement organs and parts to prolong human life.
       If this came to pass- might we not have a world filled with ancients, each one eager to live as long as possible? How would this affect the newly born in a world already suffering from a lack of food, water and resources?  Who would be eligible for these harvested parts?  Would they be freely available to all?  I think not.  The potential to misuse this technology is perhaps even more frightening than the consequence of our nuclear nightmare.
        Science must be forced to give up its assumption that Society and Government will make the correct choices when it comes to the use of cloning and other scientific achievements.  The evidence suggests that the right choices are seldom made.  There must be more debate on the consequences of these advances within the scientific community.  Contingencies need to be developed before decisions to go forward are made.  Ethical questions should be resolved.
      The last few generations have witnessed the genocide of millions, the threatening of our fragile ecology, and the near exhaustion of many of our limited resources. Yet our civilization rushes forward, convinced of  its immortality and divine guidance.
      At some point reasonable people must draw the line and force a careful examination of the consequences of scientific advancement on  our lives.
      Cloning would strain our precious resources. It would prolong our agonies, not relieve them.  It would preserve our hatreds, not resolve them.  It would institutionalize our fears, not release them.
      My point of view contends that the quantity of one's life does not determine its quality.  The simple pushing back of death will not make us happier.  The extention of our lives will not make us wiser, more compassionate, more creative or more loving.   It is these qualities that make life worth living.
      Cloning will not improve the quality of our lives.