The fields of DNA and gene manipulation research are incredibly exciting for the good that they can offer mankind. Imagine a day when the results of such research can assist mankind to treat previously untreatable diseases, maybe even prevent them? Wouldn't it be tremendous to be able to alter the DNA of an unborn fetus to prevent its developing spina bifida or Down's syndrome?
Wouldn't it be a Godsend if we could manipulate our genes in order to shut off the cancer cells that ravage us or rebuild broken spinal chords? Who would stand against such worthwhile gains in health, medicine and science? Of course, no caring human could oppose such work.
But that same work has its dark side and this is a subject that medical science is doing its level best to pretend does not exist. That dark side is not getting its due in the debate of the future of mankind through science. Unfortunately, it is not merely something to scoff at as unlikely because, for all our scientific knowledge, we are still, after all, men. Evil, selfishness, hatred and ignorance will remain with us whether we are free of cancer or know our full DNA sequence or not and those innate flaws inherent in man has, can and will corrupt the good that his science can do. The potential for evil is there no matter how wondrous that science can be.
The
New York Times recently published a story about this very topic. Naturally, to further their own agenda, they only discussed a small portion of the potential evil that could result in the misuse of DNA research and left an awful lot of the debate unaddressed. In a story by Amy Harmon, the
Times worried only abut racial prejudices being revived by DNA research ("
In DNA Era, Worries About Revival of Prejudice") as that research begins to decode the small differences that accounts for skin color or other things that denote racial groups. From physical characteristics to propensity for race specific disease, DNA research is beginning to map these differences giving hope that, at least in the case of disease, those differences might lead to treatments and prevention. But, the
Times worries that this research might also revive discrimination based on those differences. "The notion that race is more than skin deep," the
Times reports, "could undermine principles of equal treatment and opportunity that have relied on the presumption that we are all fundamentally equal."
Sadly, The
Times also used its piece as an excuse to attack conservatives and push for more welfare spending. Claiming that conservatives would use DNA research to discriminate against blacks and, conversely, claiming that liberals could use that same research to demand more spending to "close the achievement gap," the
Times crudely used its article as an effort to demonize opponents instead of to truly address the real problems that the future could bring.
The
Times is right to worry that DNA could be used by some to justify discrimination against blacks, of course. But the length and breadth of this issue is far more worrisome than just the narrow aspect highlighted by The
New York Times. It is, in fact, a far more dangerous potential threat to humanity than the Times seems to grasp. This research, after all, could easily be used to eliminate the natural human being altogether, white, black, Asian... the entire human race is in danger of being altered beyond nature and changed into some post human creature.
A small and fringe group of `scienceists
Warner Todd Huston——
Bio and Archives
Warner Todd Huston’s thoughtful commentary, sometimes irreverent often historically based, is featured on many websites such as Breitbart.com, among many, many others. He has also written for several history magazines, has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows.
He is also the owner and operator of Publius’ Forum.
