February 2, 2006
Bush On Cloning In State of The Union Address
Some of you who watched or read the State of the Union Address may have been taken aback by his comments on cloning. He said:
Tonight I ask you to pass legislation to prohibit the most egregious abuses of medical research - human cloning in all its forms ... creating or implanting embryos for experiments ... creating human-animal hybrids ... and buying, selling, or patenting human embryos. Human life is a gift from our Creator- and that gift should never be discarded, devalued, or put up for sale."
While a statement against human cloning is not surprising, many folks are asking where in the world he came up with "human-animal hybrids."
This so-called "hybrid" process is a big deal, and Bush's proposed ban has probably made numerous researchers )and the corporations and venture capitalists funding that research) quake in their boots. This is known as transgenic research and some see it as an answer to numerous medical processes.
The introduction of human genes into a variety of animal species has been going on for some time. Pigs have had human genes introduced for xeno-transplants. Organs grown in transgenic pigs are hoped to provide organ transplants that are less likely to be rejected. The shortage of transplants is a major issue, and has lead to a grisly black market in organs.
Human genes are being experimented with in both goats and cows to produce certain enzymes and proteins.
And, human genes are being introduced into chickens in order to improve vaccine production.
One assumes that the possibilities are endless if we add other life forms into the mix - say fish and plants.
Xeno transgenics is not new. It goes back to the US patent that was issued in the early 1990s on the Harvard Mouse. You may remember the pictures of the mouse with the human ear on its back. Mice are being used in a wide array of transgenic experiments (try search google images for transgenic mouse).
I happen to agree with Bush on human cloning and transgenics, but then I am anti-genetic modification. While I realize the possibilities that this research might produce, I personally think that the risks are too high. I also have problems on an ethical basis with the experimentation on animals. Bush does not share those concerns as he has been pushing for the release of cloned and genetically modified salmon to be released into the open sea. The grow much faster than either native or farmed salmon. His issue, and many of his "base," is when human genes enter the mix. Interestingly, Bush's pandering to both the petrochemical and pharmaceutical industries seems to hit the wall at human transgenics. What an interesting point to quibble on.
Articles of Interest
Transgenic Animals. J. M. Kimball
The Xeno-Solution. John Travis, Science News Online, 11/04/1995
Xenogen Corporation Fact Sheet
The Business of Xenotransplantaion: will this transgenic pig ever fly. PBS
What's wrong with Genetic Engineering?. Organic Consumers Association.
I agree whoever or whatever God is; she does a pretty good job without having to mess around with a pretty good process. As to GWB what can you say ?
Posted by: bell hooked at February 2, 2006 3:35 PMNot to be merely arbitrary or pointlessly arguementative, but perhaps we might reconsider the wider spectrum and especially the fact that G. W. Bush is sort of a politician, but certainly surrounded by politically astute advisers who actually understand reality. Albeit, the ethics and morality of Transgenics aside, the diabolical strategists advising W. know that such products of such experiments, as may successfully survive, will likely realize they are an extreme minority with the right to equal rights just like everyone else, and recognize that their very existence is mortally threatened at some level by everyone to the right of Moam Chomsky. They would become a rampaging voting block like none before seen, except that composed of clear thinking Gay and Lesbian voters who have enough sense to stay the hell out of the Log Cabin. In other words, we who seek to band together in defense of truth, justice, and the true American way, may be cutting off our noses to spite our face by too swiftly considering Transgenics an evil plot against the so-called "Divine Plan"...or the "icky" possibility of waking up beside a rutabaga some hung over morning... Not to mention the shortsightedness of overlooking the potentials of being able to replace a traumatically lost nose with a carrot...whoa! Let's think this all through very, very carefully!
Posted by: Ed at February 3, 2006 4:11 PMA really wonderful text that specifically addresses ethical and environmental considerations related to transgenics and bio-engineering is Finn Bowring's Science, Seeds, and Cyborgs.
This is probably the only time I can remember agreeing with (at least the gist) of something G.W. Bush has to say--although my reasons for being against human cloning have a different justification.
At the same time I found his statement hypocritical since cross-species cloning and genetic alterations have been strongly supported by the programs of his administration. So, he seems to be OK with the idea of bio-engineering and transgenics as long as they don't involve "created" human beings. I feel he's missing the point.
Thank you for the links. Rowan, have you ever read the Bowring book?
Posted by: Pamela at February 5, 2006 2:29 PMI am familiar with the Bowring book.
Transgenics is a complex topic, but my basic feeling - and this goes to all manipulation of anything's genes - is that we simply do not know enough. The mapping of a genome does not tell us what everything does, nor the complex relationships that exist. We are a long way from this knowledge. That means the manipulation that is done is largely "in the dark." When one is experimenting with the substance of life, I believe that we should proceed with caution.
Posted by: rowan at February 5, 2006 7:42 PM