Re: here we go and then some ....

Lee Daniel Crocker (lcrocker@mercury.colossus.net)
Fri, 9 Jan 1998 20:40:37 -0800 (PST)


> [Regarding the legal status of cloning]
> As usual the popular media has latched on to this as a headline grabber
> designed to attract a scientifically ignorant mass audience. Regrettably,
> most of the editors in the mass media seem to be as scientifically ignorant
> as their readers and viewers. As to the general morality of most of the
> editors of the media, I somehow doubt that many of them even know the
> meaning of the word.

That's not a meaningful criticism of the press; you and I personally
have just about opposite definitions of "moral", yet we happen to
agree (contrary to the minority) that the act of cloning yourself
is OK. The relevant question to me seems to be "What are the real
memetic influences that make the majority believe what they do, and
what can we do about it?" I think blaming religion here falls
short of the whole story. Even many avowed atheists are uncomfortable
with the idea. Some who are all in favor of "technology" when it's
made of plastic are less enthusiastic when it comes to cells.

What is it that they fear? What can we do to assuage that fear or
(often more effective) to ridicule it?

--
Lee Daniel Crocker <lee@piclab.com> <http://www.piclab.com/lcrocker.html>
"All inventions or works of authorship original to me, herein and past,
are placed irrevocably in the public domain, and may be used or modified
for any purpose, without permission, attribution, or notification."--LDC