Whenever new technology is invented or technology is pushed to increase the boundary's of our limitations people are always going to question it. Why are they going to question it? Because they don't understand it and people are afraid of what they don't know or understand. Just like most uneducated people tend to do instead of seeking a better understanding of what this new technology entails. They will place ethical questions on it saying that it is wrong to use embryo's because life begins at this stage or whatever stage they say it does. Also, where did they get the raw materials to do this kind of research? Does it really matter as long as no crimes are being committed? I say no! It really does not as long as nobody is getting hurt in the process. If we as a people can exceed our limitation by using what resources we have at our disposal. Isn't that the right thing to do? If we can use all our technology that we have and what we will have to eliminate the negative and harmful things that life throws at us. Wouldn't that be the wisest thing to do? That is what this weeks readings seem to be addressing and that is what is the moral implication that this type of research entails. Is it wrong to try and make life perfect so we won't suffer any kind of diseases or sickness? Is it wrong with wanting to live a long healthy life and for our children to also to so? Hell no! It is normal for people to want to live and live free of any negativity. I believe that this is the bigger picture that we are after with the advancement of genomic research. Were not after the power to say what can live and what can not. We are after the power to eliminate any defects in the human race has as a species. Also, what comes along with new technology? Power! Power can be a good thing if it is not allowed to become corrupt. How does power become corrupt? It becomes corrupt when people use it to further their own cause instead of the greater cause and that would be the cause of the people. I believe the cause of the people would be to prolong life as long as they possibly can. In order to do this we need this type of research. But, this is were politics comes into play its dirty hand. Politics sees this type of research as a power play in order to push their own agendas and this is where ( as I have mentioned above) it becomes corrupt. When it use used for other purposes than the purpose it was intended for. This is when scientific progress and technological innovation draws the line between good and evil and how it is used to promote whichever. People tend to forget the law of nature and that is that their will always be a balance for life can not exist without it. It is just not possible!

In reading last weeks article "Understanding the Human Genome Project: a biographical approach" the thing that struck me the most ( in a good way) is the moral dilemma that Sulston is having with the fact he and very few others are on the cutting edge of new technology and information that will explain the human genome and he wants to keep all the information public. So, that all will have access to it instead of all this information going private and only a select few having access to it. This allows the door to a monopoly to be opened and we know what happens next. A few good men get filthy rich and whats wrong with that its the American dream. The problem that I personally see and I do believe Sulston thought the same way and that is knowledge is meant to be shared with everyone and one alike. I just believe Sulston thought less of those who did profit monetarily from the knowledge that they were blessed in discovering. I believe in the case with Collins he had to hurry up and take credit for something that was not complete because he had the Clinton Administration bearing down on them to do so. So the American people would have something to take their eyes off the scandals the Clinton Presidency was wrought with. I think that Collins knew it was a bit premature but he had no choice because he probably received some type of financing of federal money that was tied to the Clinton's Administration and they used this to their advantage to take the public eyes and heat of the Presidency. I could be wrong about this but here we go with politics and the advancement of the technology of biology. It can get real shady real fast! I guess the thing that struck me the most about these two scientist is they both specifically acknowledge the existence of God as they're brink of discovering the sequence of the human gene. I like this because I am a Christian and I do believe in a higher Being that has created us and these brilliant men are on the very edge of discovery and they also have a believe in God. Unlike, Venter who just goes on a sailing trip for his way of discovery!

First, I just want to say that all this type of research (genome and stem cell) is very new to me. I don't want to sound like I have been living in a cave all these years it is just that I have found no interest in this type of research until this Fall when I started the new school year and as you could have imagine to my surprise when I started to look for new classes for the Winter term I stumbled across this BioPolitics and of course I took it. Just to give you a little bit of history as to why I just now got interested in this type of research is because my family,on my mom side, is just now being detected with heart disease and I am in fear of my kids of inheriting this disease. As for the book from the author Mike Fortun I am finding it extremely interesting especially the part on "deCode [was] lobbying Iceland's Parliament to allow the company to supplement its family trees with medical records gathered from the national health services." Now, I know that this can be called invasion of privacy from a Icelanders point of view, but in my case where we are just now finding out that my family has a heredity of heart disease this way of building a data base from a family tree could turn out to be very important and even life saving in my families particular case. To back up deCode it did mentioned that they would be using a sophisticated and secure encryption technique to keep all of Iceland's citizens medical records secure and that the decryption keys would only be held by local clinics and not some central authority to be on the safe side. Now, to me in my situation this could turn out to be an extreme advantage in fighting the heart disease that is inherited from my ancestors and I would be all for this type data base, but I can also see where the people that the data base is being built on would see that this is an invasion of privacy. Who likes outsiders digging into their family tree and post the results for more outsiders to look at? I know that I wouldn't, but like I have previously mentioned I would have something to gain from it. So, I guess I wouldn't be opposed to it as long as it help my family avert the heart disease that is passed down the family tree. Also, I just wanted to add that after reading the article "Frame That Gene" it says that whatever we turn out to be is already predetermined before it happens because it is in our genetics. I believe it a certain point in that our physical characteristics are but what we truly turn out be is truly up to us as an individual and our success, in what ever nature it may be, is all up to the individual themselves. We chose whatever we want to be and how we want to do things, such as our sexuality and whether we choose to obey society(a law biding citizen) or buck against society( an outlaw) to say that it is in our genes is a cheap cop out. Maybe just maybe I am wrong and my mind is open to any other possibility or explanation, but to say we were already a loser before we were born is not acceptable to me. We are all individuals and we are all in control of what we want to be in life!