[Vision2020] Re: Cloning

Robert Dickow dickow@uidaho.edu
Sat, 20 Sep 2003 19:50:01 -0700


But my point about cloning oneself is simply that it would not be denying
anybody their own identity. The clone would have its own identity. Making a
clone of a plant, person, or animal does not in any way deny that person,
plant, or animal its own identity. It would have its own identity in the
same way that a twin has an independent identity. The clone would still be
'who he/she/it is. The clone's identity can't be taken away from that
individual no matter how hard we clone them.

Just because I happen to look a little bit like Henry Mancini doesn't
diminish my individual identity. If by chance I were born with an much more
amazingly striking resemblance to Henry Mancini, I would still have my own
identity.

But, underlying this discussion is a shared concern. Maybe the heart of the
matter is the notion of the State or other organization creating clones for
commercial or political/military reasons, or any reason other than that
which has been the motivating factor for making babies for a gazillion
years-- Love. In our democratic society the State ultimately is designed to
serve the individual, not the other way around. This holds for regular folk
just as much as it does for clones.

Bob Dickow

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Donovan Arnold" <donovanarnold@hotmail.com>

> I think anyone that cloned themselves would have to be an ego maniac.
Someone that cloned themselves would have to love themselves more than they
loved their child. Why deny your child their own seperate identity?
Everything  can be taken from someone except who they are, now we want to
allow that to be taken away from people too? How sad.
>