While spring and the change it brings approach, some things never do, including Mrs.Carroll’s AP Lit classes’ tradition of reading the book Frankenstein by Mary Shelly. Although this book was published over 200 years ago in 1818, it still poses questions relevant in today’s culture. The class was given an article and encouraged to find their ow,n as well as the students determine their stance on the question, is cloning beneficial or detrimental to our society?
On one side of the class, cloning was displayed to have several potential benefits, especially regarding the medical field. Several pre-med students brought up therapeutic cloning, reasoning that it could allow scientists to grow healthy tissues or organs using a patient’s own cells. This would reduce the risk of rejection during transplants. This could help people with serious conditions such as heart disease, spinal cord injuries, or organ failure. Cloning technology may also help researchers better understand genetic diseases by allowing them to study how certain conditions develop and test new treatments safely. In agriculture, cloning can help reproduce animals with desirable traits, such as disease resistance or high productivity, which can improve food production.
However, the other side of the class disagreed and explained how cloning also raises serious ethical, social, and scientific concerns. Many students believed that no matter how many regulations were implemented, at some point, someone would take it too far. It seemed as if the risk was not worth any reward for them. Reproductive cloning of humans could lead to identity and psychological issues, especially for cloned individuals. There are also risks of medical complications, as cloning attempts in animals have shown high failure rates and health problems. Additionally, many people believe cloning crosses moral boundaries, particularly when it involves creating and destroying embryos for research. There are fears that cloning could increase inequality or be misused for harmful purposes.
Ultimately, cloning presents promising medical advancements on a silver platter with a side of complex ethical challenges. While it has the potential to save lives and improve scientific understanding, it also raises concerns about safety, morality, and long-term societal impact. As technology continues to advance, careful regulation and thoughtful discussion will be necessary to ensure cloning is used responsibly and ethically.
