I am responding to Erik Bussa’s column about cloning humans; I am not justifying cloning in any way, only responding to the inaccuracies in the article. He said, “One’s height, weight, eye color, intelligence … can all be predetermined.” Weight and intelligence are not predetermined in our genes; yes, our genes do contain coding for weight and intelligence, but what one eats and how much schooling one has also affects these traits.
He also said, “Contrary to popular belief, we did not evolve from any simpler life.” Was Mr. Bussa present at the creation of the Earth? The intelligent design theory and the Big Bang theory are just that– theories. Theories aren’t fact, as Mr. Bussa alluded to.
My biggest problem with his article was the statement, “And since when does the United States discriminate against someone for being a little different than the norm?” America was created as a conglomerate of different races and religions, so what exactly is the norm in the U.S.?
In my opinion, a norm is when a larger majority of the population has a trait or a quality. Recent statistics show more than 50 percent of American adults are overweight, which then would make it the norm, yet overweight people are discriminated against everyday.
Scientists also have an enormous respect for life, unlike Mr. Bussa’s statement, “…to do something someone else has never done and then to be recognized for their work.” Isn’t the point of research to find a cure for a disease, or actually “do something that someone else has never done,” and help millions of people?
And while Mr. Bussa wants scientists to quit working so they can think about the stem cell research they’ve done, maybe he can visit a family that has watched a family member suffer through Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease.
Last, a little research on stem cells should have been done; stem-cell research is done not only on embryonic stem cells, but also on adult stem cells. Adult stem cells can be found in bone marrow, tissue and organs. A little research on Mr. Bussa’s part would have made a better column.
Abbie Jenkinsjunior in mathematics
