by Treasa Lascola

Created on: September 12, 2008

Can you imagine another you? Lab created or otherwise? I've tried to imagine a clone of myself, would she have a soul? Would she share my beliefs? My opinions? My tastes and personality characteristics? Would she fall in love with the same man that I have? Would she give birth to the same child that I have, only later? Would she assume my identity and steal all that I have acquired?

It's a very scary series of questions, to be sure. And I certainly wouldn't want to clone any of my beloved pets, because they're as irreplaceable as people to me. Anyone considering this practice for spare parts isn't worth the sum of their originals!

The circle of life serves an important purpose in the scheme of the universe. We are all born, we reach important milestones, we procreate, we teach our children, then our health fails as we grow older, and then we die. Procreation is part of our dynamic as humans, plants, and animals so that not only do we continue our legacies, we can also have new life created beyond ourselves. This process in and of itself is creative in such a way, (especially for humans), that our offspring actually is a unique being unto themselves. How wonderfully amazing!

So, when the scientific community whines and complains about a lack of progress, I say shame on them for attempting to play God, Allah, or the Great Spirit. It's important to keep in mind that all life in the Universe serves a purpose, even if we don't always know what that purpose may be. Whether we are talking about the life of a fly, or the life of the man or woman who finds the loophole to make cloning an acceptable practice. I don't much care for flies, but then, what would spiders eat? Which makes me wonder, what would someone looking for loopholes have an appetite for? Anarchy, chaos, a little more destruction, anyone?

We have done enough damage to the world around us to leave a size-able dent. The karma of the human race is in enough jeopardy without adding cloning to the list. Just imagine the wars that would ensue simply for the technology to do so. While we're at it, why not clone armies of the most atrocious monsters from our fine selections of sociopaths, psychotics, and torturous mass murderers? We are not lacking horrors or atrocities as a race of beings in the Universe. So, can we maybe, I don't know try to cure Cancer or AIDS before we start exploiting the gifts that have been given to us? We can synthesize little blue pills so that those of us with sexual side effects from everything else we consume will abate. I have to believe that we can do better!

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