RE: Skeptic Michael Shermer comes out in support of human cloning

From: Lee Corbin (lcorbin@tsoft.com)
Date: Fri Jan 03 2003 - 10:27:50 MST


Eugen writes

> > > Actually, there is an emerging body of civil law
> > > in "wrongful birth" suits.
> >
> > Complete insanity.
>
> How so? Never come into being is much better than
> living a life of constant misery.

I agree totally. I'm just skeptical that these people
are leading lives of "constant misery". I seriously
doubt that they *really* wish they'd never been born.

> > But for the person with defects, e.g. me, to be anything
> > but extraordinarily grateful that he got to live is
> > stupid and silly. Apparently people, if they're honest
>
> Well, some of those with defects are so extraordinarily
> grateful [sarcasm] that they're stupid and silly enough
> to die of such defects, or commit suicide because they
> can't stand the pain.

I agree totally, again.

> > and not just out for a fast buck, who file such law
> > suits against their parents don't realize that a blemish
> > free version of them would be someone else.
>
> Huh? They wouldn't be there to start with. That's
> the whole point: if life is hell it's better it
> never started. Being dumb about it is somewhat
> more excusable than actual malice aforethought
> but it still leaves us with one not exactly happy
> camper on our hands.

If their suit is directed towards one bad gene,
then they're talking about a version of themselves
without that gene.

Now if they really would be better off dead, then
they've got three great options: (1) kill themselves
(2) hope for improved treatment for what ails them (3)
get frozen in order to try to ride out the bad part.
These options would not exist if their parents had
not given birth to them. To accuse the parents of
this absurd "wrongful birth"---especially as it
occurred many years before modern understanding of
genetics was widespread---is totally absurd.

Yes, but this "not exactly happy camper" on "our"
hands should have available by now many therapies
only our ignorance and superstition has prevented
us from developing. www.hedweb.com

Lee



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