Reservations

It is known for people to be afraid of the unknown. We all have our reservations and fear the uncertainty of what might happen next, especially when it comes to scientific research. The question always comes up if what we are doing is right or ethical. But, there is always the curiosity that wins over and we continue our research.

Good thing the saying “Curiosity killed the cat” is not always true. Am I right or am I right? Otherwise, I think we would be in serious trouble.

The downfall of medical research is that not everyone is informed completely of the facts, such in the case of cloning. This causes for people to trust and base their opinions on how the media interprets the research being done. In the case of cloning, there have been so many movies, shows and books done on the subject that the truth and facts got lost in translation.

So what do we know of cloning based on the media? Well we know that babies can be created in labs, that adult humans can be cloned, that you can create a clone army and that clones can be produced to harvest their organs. Doesn’t sound all good, does it? Good thing this is all science fiction right? The problem being is that people still base their opinions on such science fiction. So they are ignorant to the truth and form their bias opinions. Some people might say it is cool and others might say it is morally wrong. So who is right? I like to think that everyone is entitled to their opinion and that there is some truth in what everyone says.

All we can do is educate ourselves on the subject matter. We need to get all our facts straight and from their form our own opinions. We cannot let other’s opinions and works influence us to the point that we become parrots and mimic what we are fed by the media and people’s opinions that have no foundation but that of their own beliefs.

It sounds like we all have to do a little research. Although it might be a bit boring, it is worthwhile. This way everyone’s opinions can be well founded and backed up.

I don’t mean to preach, but it would be nice to get some educated opinions when it comes to cloning. I am not saying that none exist, but the general public has the right to make their own educated remarks to and that will be made easier if they were educated on the subject at hand.

So let’s break out our laptops and books and start reading!

Voice through Stem Cell Research

You have to admit that when you are researching for anything in the science and technology fields, it is hard not to come by anything that isn’t dry and filled with facts. Even when I was researching for blogs, all the ones I came across were filled with scientific facts and research, and really didn’t have any personal voice in them. Although the writer was making an argument, I really could not tell through their writing how they really felt about a topic. After a few tries I ran across the human cloning foundation blogspot, that to my surprise contained many blog posts that had plenty of voice. Specifically the ones written by Ma Tingnu. You would think most activist to be against human cloning and that they would be the ones with the most voice, but Ma is quite the contrary. She is an activist for human cloning research. Rather than going the really scientific route, she is able to tie in certain subjects like movies and well known people to make her points which makes it easier for the readers who really have never heard of human cloning and its ethical dilemmas to understand better. The real key to her being personable and easy to read is the voice that comes through her writing. 

One of her strong posts is titled “Human Cloning and the Bible.” In this posts she talks about if whether or not clones would believe in the bible. Her argument is that like any other individual, clones will make their own decision and choose whether or not they believe in the bible. She is able to have a strong voice with this argument by creating an array of moods in her short post. In the beginning she starts with a matter of fact and disbelief approach. She manages this by using strong diction with phrases such as, “utter lack of knowledge” and “Godless, soul-less beings.” Through these phrases you can really here her anger and passion on the subject, which she also shows towards the end of her post where she uses an exclamation point to emphasize her argument. Although, she shows a strong argumentive voice in various places, she is also able to show a more upbeat and persuasive voice. To make a connection with the reader she brings in widely known figures such as Stephen Hawkings which provides a common ground for the reader and helps her persuasion. At the end of the post she brings out her more upbeat and joyful voice by using words and phrases such as, “silly questions” and “Heck.” Such techniques can be seen throughout her other posts.

Here is the link to the post “Human cloning and the Bible”: http://humancloningfoundation.blogspot.com/2011/02/human-cloning-and-bible.html

Another example of her strong voice can be seen in the post titled, “Roaring Ahead.” Although she starts off by quoting a scientist and then going to talk about medical and research breakthroughs, you are able to see her usual strong voice at the end were she wraps up her argument and post. Again, she shows her passion and persuasion through strong and elaborate diction. An example of this can be seen in the sentence, “Hope is no longer a flickering light, but a steady beam shining ever brighter.” Her analogy, although it sounds a bit over the top, really ties in to the post nicely that it does not seem out of place and really conveys her thoughts on the subject of cloning and stem cell research. She then goes on to finish her post with, “Let it roar ahead, indeed!” This shows her excitement on the subject which is emphasized by her choice to tie in the title of her post and usage of an exclamation point. As you can tell her voice is pretty consistent throughout her post, which make them a fun read.

Here is the link to the post “Roaring Ahead”: http://humancloningfoundation.blogspot.com/2011/01/roaring-ahead.html

So, if you are interested in reading posts full of passion and argument feel free to check Ma Tingnu out! 

In the http://humancloningfoundation.blogspot.com/