No Centaurs For The Senator

Senator Sam Brownback (R-KS) is a long time champion of "sanctity of human life." He is a staunch opponent of abortion and since his conversion to Catholicism, also of the death penalty, except in rare cases. It is not surprising therefore that Brownback does not support embryonic stem cell research or cloning. All this while I had assumed that his opposition to both stemmed from his "culture of life" philosophy in which making and taking of lives should be left in the hands of the almighty. But now I find out that the senator is also worried about genetic research leading to the creation of human-animal hybrids. To thwart the sudden emergence of mythical creatures like centaurs and minotaurs in the midst of our otherwise peaceful world, Brownback has introduced a bill called the The Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act.

“This legislation works to ensure that our society recognizes the dignity and sacredness of human life,” said Brownback. “Creating human-animal hybrids, which permanently alter the genetic makeup of an organism, will challenge the very definition of what it means to be human and is a violation of human dignity and a grave injustice.”

The Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act would ban the creation of human-animal hybrids. Human-animal hybrids are defined as those part-human, part-animal creatures, which are created in laboratories, and blur the line between species. The bill is modest in scope and only affects efforts to blur the genetic lines between animals and humans. It does not preclude the use of animals or humans in legitimate research or health care where genetic material is not passed on to future generations, such as the use of a porcine heart valve in a human patient or the use of a lab rat with human diseases to develop treatments.

Brownback continued, “This legislation is both philosophical and practical as it has a direct bearing upon the very essence of what it means to be human, and it draws a bright line with respect to how far we can go in attempting to create new creatures made with genes from both humans and animals.

“My background is in agriculture, and for a number of years we have been working with crops and animals to produce a superior soy bean, a superior cow, and so-on. We can genetically engineer safe products and herds that are disease resistant or that possess more desirable attributes. But doing this in plants and livestock is very different than doing this in humans.

“The issue is that when you make changes in the germ-line, such changes are passed along to one’s offspring. You could make a change now that could be passed along through the gene-pool for the rest of humanity. We do not know what the full effect of this could be, and it could be disastrous.

“Tampering with the human germ-line could be the equivalent to setting a time-bomb that might detonate many generations down the line; but once it is set, there is no reversing course.

“I am optimistic that our nation we will make a sound choice for the generations to come. Already, in Louisiana last month, Governor Jindal signed legislation into law that would prohibit the creation of human-animal hybrids. That law is modeled after earlier versions of the legislation that we introduce today.”

All the co-sponsors of the bill are Republican senators (John McCain among them). What is Democrat Mary Landrieu doing here? Trying to outdo Governor Bobby Jindal in political grandstanding, I suppose. But don't they love mermaids in Louisiana?

Comments

[M]

i wish they would be as concerned about altered foods. humans? never! untested, genetically altered food? compulsory! the republican's god never seems to mind that sort of tinkering. "my creation is perfect! everyone should respect the sanctity my work! oh, except food, go crazy with that."

i guess once a twinkie has been introduced into the food stream, quality becomes a moot point. (i'm convinced that twinkies are genetically altered foods; they grow them in vats; surely).

[Ruchira]

Don't forget meat pumped full with hormones, antibiotics and who knows what else, cows that are fed animal offals and factory farmed animals and poultry who never see a day of natural living in their short and painful lives.

I would rather have a friendly centaur lurking in my backyard.

[Joe]

Does he think that only the U.S. has scientist? I mean, it's all well and good that he's trying to make a law that prevents people in this country from making a change that will alter the gene pool for the rest of humanity... but even if you agree with his normative position on the creation of centaurs, it's not something that Congress will ever have control over.

[Joe]

By which I mean, the Chinese will do it. Unless we invade. And we should totally get on that, right after we finish the war with Iran, which we have yet to start but are presumably working on with at least as much gusto as we are reforming health care.

[M]

the health care thing is just our token non-invasion effort. It's more of a sleight of hand. "Oh, sick people and affordability and...now! Invade!"

You're right, we're really eager to dive into that one. We're already doing the Afhanistan-as-appetizer approach that Bush tried before Iraq. Just a little light bombing before the next course. Mmm. Iran is looking awfully tasty over there.