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OPINION
Wednesday, January 23, 2013 | The Cavalier Daily
One unethical step for mankind
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Cloning a subspecies of human, though an interesting project, would be fraught with moral issues
S SOME SCIENTISTS are ago? Even so, Church’s plans are preparing for the future of fraught with ethical issues, and mankind by exploring his ultimate reasoning for creatspace, fighting climate change or ing a Neanderthal may not be trying to cure disease, one man enough to see his goals come to fruition. is taking a much ALEX YAHANDA Church’s work different approach derives its pur— bringing back an SENIOR ASSOCIATE EDITOR pose mostly from ancient humanlike species. Dr. George Church, a Neanderthal anatomy. Evidence professor at Harvard Medical strongly indicates that NeanderSchool, has recently claimed thals had a similar anatomical that he will be able to recreate structure to humans. There were Neanderthal DNA. If Church some differences, though. They is correct, his research could were shorter than the average potentially lead to the creation human, yet appeared to be more of the first Neanderthal since muscular. And, as Church has that species went extinct tens duly noted, Neanderthals appear of thousands of years ago. to have had a brain that was Church says that all he needs at least as large as a human’s. is an “adventurous female The cranial cavities found in human” to gestate and birth the many Neanderthal skulls are actually larger than in humans, Neanderthal. Church’s plan does not seem and it is thus conceivable that too ambitious. Given scientists’ Neanderthal brains could have present knowledge of genomes been larger as well. Church is and cloning, being able to interested in the possibility that implant Neanderthal DNA into Neanderthals could have been an embryo that will grow into a more intelligent than humans. Neanderthal seems entirely pos- That intelligence, he argues, sible. And from a purely scien- could be useful for humans in tific standpoint, Church’s work, the future. On the surface, Church’s reaif successful, would result in one of the most interesting projects soning seems valid. It is true that imaginable. Who would not in today’s society, the Neanderwant to study the closest human thal species has been portrayed ancestor in the flesh and catch in an unfortunate and misleada glimpse of how the world was ing manner. In reality, it is not hundreds of thousands of years accurate to characterize Nean-
That being said, cloning Neanderthals as of lesser intelligence or inferior evolutionary fitness derthals for potential use in than Homo sapiens. Neander- solving human problems is not thals also developed the use of sufficient for Church’s goals to tools, lived in complex social overcome the ethical boundaries they structures face. Cloning, and exhibited “We do not, however, as of now, is other humanwant to risk creating zoo widely conlike traits. exhibits or science projects demned as an Moreover, ethical and Neanderthals out of organisms that are legal violaexisted for essentially humans. ” tion. Though longer than Neanderthals humans and are techniinhabited harsher environments, as they cally a different subspecies than lived for thousands of years in humans, their humanlike qualiglaciated environments. If they ties and the fact that they may were actually more intelligent have been just as intelligent as than humans, it could be argued humans should place them under that we could benefit from that the same ethical protection. Scientific evidence that Homo intelligence. There have been compelling sapiens and Neanderthals could arguments that human beings have mated with each other have been getting less intelligent reinforces this idea. Genetic over time. Stanford University analysis has shown that many geneticists claim that humans ethnicities have trace amounts have slowly been accumulating of Neanderthal DNA. This is more deleterious genetic muta- especially relevant because of tions over generations, which how many people would no may have ultimately resulted in doubt view Neanderthals as a less intelligent humans. Those lesser species. Cloned Neandermutations, coupled with the fact thals would be viewed as either that humans have allowed natu- scientific property or as inferior, ral selection to act less strongly even though they may well be on intelligence, mean that Nean- cognizant of that discrimination derthals and early humans could against them. Furthermore, there is no telling have indeed possessed greater how a Neanderthal’s intelligence intellectual capabilities.
would manifest itself if that species were raised in today’s society. Just because a Neanderthal’s brain may be larger does not mean that it would develop superior intelligence on a level that would quickly advance mankind. Or at least the evidence for Neanderthals having greater intelligence is not strong enough to warrant the cloning of Neanderthals for the purpose of benefitting humans. There is no reason to suspect that Neanderthals would even thrive in the modern world. Diseases or the difference in modern day habitats could have severely negative effects on Neanderthals living in the present. Church says he has the best interest of the human race in mind, and our investigations into the DNA and genome of the species could yield information about the Neanderthals that may be useful to humans. We do not, however, want to risk creating zoo exhibits or science projects out of organisms that are essentially humans. Cloning Neanderthals seems like too much of an ethical quandary to become a reality in the near future. Alex Yahanda is a senior associate editor for The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at a.yahanda@cavalierdaily.com.
Lawyer’s fees
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A New York law school reform claims to be beneficial, but may not be as successful as hoped
ECENTLY, MEMBERS of the proposition is to reduce student law community in New debt and encourage more lowYork proposed making income students to pursue law the legal reform necessary to by allowing them to complete allow law students to take the only two years, and saving them the cost for that bar exam after FARIHA KABIR third year. The two years of law OPINION COLUMNIST proposition, then, school, rather would decrease than the usual three. In this proposed change, their financial burden, accordstudents would have the option ing to the New York Times. Another rationale, according to attend their third year; if students passed the bar exam to the New York Times, is that after their second year, then students can learn all the necesthey may forgo their third year sary information their first two and seek a job. Proponents of years of law, and, therefore, the the legislation have offered third year become unnecesmany arguments in favor of sary. In general, there has been debate for years about the true this reform. One of the foremost reasons benefit for the third year of is financial. According to the law school. Proponents of this National Law Journal, tuition legislation argue that now law at private law school currently schools would have an incenaverages $40,585, while public tive to make the last year of law school averages about school compelling to encourage $23,590. In 2011, the average students to attend their third debt at a private law school year. While at first glance the was $125,000, while at a public school, the debt was $75,700, idea seemed quite appealing, according to the American Bar I cannot support the reform Association. With such daunt- for a number of reasons. In a ing figures, the objective of this debate published in the New
York Law Journal, one of the will be preferred. Furthermore, main concerns with this reform if one of the objectives for this idea is employment prospects — proposition is to encourage whether or not employers would low-income students to pursue look down upon a student who law, then if these students do graduate in has completed two rather “The intention behind this t w o y e a r s , t h a n t h r e e proposition is good, but I do t h e y s t i l l would not years of law school. It is question the effectiveness in have access to great that stu- how popular it will actually high-paying jobs. There dents would be and in its ability to is significant be done with achieve its objectives.” chance that law school these stuearlier, but if dents would their job prospects are lower — especially in be paid less. Such circumstances a profession that is not as stable would hinder the two-year law as it once was — then the propo- students’ abilities to pay back sition would not ultimately be their law school loans. As a effective in helping students result, there would still be an deal with loans. As noted in the economic disparity, despite the New York Law Journal, law stu- intention to reduce it. All of this dents who graduate in two years is highlighted by the fact that might find employment but not students would not receive their positions at high paid large law J.D. if they chose to forgo their firms, limiting the opportunities third year of school. Furthermore, Professor Brian provided for these students. For example, if a firm has to choose Tamanaha at Washington Unibetween three-year versus two- versity in St. Louis remarks year law students, chances are that if large numbers of stuthat the three-year law students dents skip their third year, then
law schools could take other measures to ensure revenue thereby overriding one of the main rationales for the proposition. Perhaps law schools will further increase their tuition or implement some sort of an additional fee. If reducing the financial burden of law school is a concern, then action could be taken by law schools to increase financial aid for law students, or cut back on the constantly rising tuition costs for law school. The intention behind this proposition is good, but I do question the effectiveness in how popular it will actually be and in its ability to achieve its objectives. There needs to be greater research conducted to really measure out the pros and cons of this idea. I like the proposal’s idealism, but its possible drawbacks keep me from supporting it. Fariha Kabir’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. She can be reached at f.kabir@cavalierdaily.com.
Unsportsmanlike conduct
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The town of Steubenville, Ohio should not rid itself of integrity by defending the actions of its football players
E A S A C U LT U R E Paterno and company are believe t h a t equally culpable as Sandusky s p o r t s i s a p i l l a r for giving him a free pass to of the community. Acknowl- commit unspeakable crimes, as edge the fact that NFL games air they hid the injustices done to Sandusky’s vicon Sunday right ROLPH RECTO tims to preserve after church, and OPINION COLUMNIST the immaculate it becomes clear image of a footthat sports is a kind of secular religion for a ball program. What is supconsumerist society. A “hero posed to be recreation and a culture” naturally grows out community bonding experiof our love for sports; we see ence somehow became the coaches and athletes as people most important thing, above whom we should admire. It even the welfare of children. takes guts and determination Sandusky virtually has no to play the game, and from defenders outside of his family, that we infer that other vir- yet Paterno still has a base of loyalists willing to defend him tues off the field must follow. For the most part, hero cul- even in light of all the damnture is a net good, and more ing evidence. Even after the often than not sports is indeed scandal has all but dissipated, a unifying force for many one State College resident still communities. The Penn State describes Paterno as “first and scandal last year, however, most of all a great coach and a showed the dark side of hero great person.” Do they perhaps culture. Jerry Sandusky and see Paterno’s silence as a noble Joe Paterno definitely had guts act, that the Nittany Lions are and determination to lead the such an intrinsic good for the Nittany Lions against brutal community that its honor must competition; their actions off be kept intact, regardless of the field, however, reflect how many skeletons must be moral corruption rather than hidden? This is a broken sense virtue. Sandusky destroyed of morality, where the image the lives of his victims to of virtue is more important satiate his perverted desires. than virtue itself. A person
who knowingly hid child abuse from a former Steubenville cannot in any conventional use player describing the actions of those accused: “They peed of the word be called great. Less than a year after the on her. That’s how you know Sandusky case, the ongoing she’s dead, because someone pissed on her scandal in … They raped Steubenville, “Perhaps I’ve been too quicker Ohio again desensitized to accounts of her than Mike reminds us sexual assault, but I found Tyson raped that, when g i v e n p r i - the fact that the community t h a t o n e Perhaps macy above is defending the actions of girl.” we should all else, the the football players more remind Coach hero culture of sports is distasteful than the assault Saccocia that urinating on a corrosive itself.” unconscious force. The girls, whether story is sadly familiar to many of us: a girl it actually happened or it is parties, drinks too much; boys, just a boast, is not behavior to star football players in this which upstanding members of case, allegedly take advantage the community subscribe. The Big Red football team of her and post the gory details of Steubenville, like the Niton the Internet. Perhaps I’ve been too desen- tany Lions of Penn State, is a sitized to accounts of sexual storied and feared program, assault, but I found the fact winning nine state championthat the community is defend- ships since 1990 and accumuing the actions of the football lating an 85 percent winning players more distasteful than rate under Coach Saccocia. It the assault itself. The head is perhaps the brightest gleam coach, Reno Saccocia, delayed of hope for a decaying Rust benching the players involved Belt town. Tarnishing Big Red because he did not think they might then be tantamount to did anything wrong. Compare extinguishing hope in Steuthis to some choice quotes benville. Seen in this light,
it is then understandable why so many in the community are so ready to defend the actions of the football players. It is still no excuse, however. Besides, attempts to preserve the integrity of the football program in this way are now for naught, with the case becoming a national media frenzy. The best thing to do in this case is a simple bloodletting: the community should not try to protect the players; it should aid the police investigation. Hold the players accountable for their actions, and the matter will be more of their moral failure rather than the corruption of a community willing to neglect justice for the sake of preserving the image of a football team. To put it in more familiar parlance, Steubenville needs to make a sacrifice play, the sacrifice being its football hero culture. Does it have the guts to do it? We shall find out soon enough. Rolph Recto’s column appears Wednesdays in The Cavalier Daily. He can be reached at r.recto@cavalierdaily.com.
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