A new bill has been introduced in the U.S. Senate that would ban human-animal hybrids. Senators Sam Brownback (R-Kansas) and Mary Landrieu (D-Louisiana) have introduced the Human-Animal Hybrid Prohibition Act of 2009 (S. 1435). The bill would prohibit the creation of part-human, part-animal creatures, which are created in laboratories, and blur the line between species. The bill would also prevent research into the creation of such creatures from taking place in the United States.
On first blush, this seems amusing and ripe for humor. After all, a bill that bans mermaids will put a smile on the most cynical face. A law that would prohibit scientists from making mermaids, centaurs, manbearpigs and other flights of fancy seems like silly fluff. Yet the bill, if made into law, would have important consequences for research.
Some scientists believe hybrid research and experimentation will cure disease and lead to other medical breakthroughs. Indeed, this kind of research is already taking place in England. Stephen Minger of King's College London, has received permission from the British government to engage in hybrid cloning and has been pushing hybrids forward. He is attempting to fuse DNA from cows with that of humans in order to create new stem cells that could be used in scientific research.
To be fair, this is a complicated issue, with no simple answers, no easy solutions.
Senator Brownback, on his blog, claims:
This legislation works to ensure that our society recognizes the dignity and sacredness of human life. 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.
Would it be a violation of human dignity? Would it be a grave injustice? I don't know. Other questions concern scientific progress, and the wisdom of curtailing or prohibiting scientific research. Prohibition may delay or prevent important medical breakthroughs that would relieve real human suffering. The questions are profound, with deep philosophical implications about who we are and who we will become.
Fasten your seat belt. It is a brave new world.
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Comments
This is very dangerous, and could set back cures for many diseases studied in the laboratory. One of the most promising techniques for improving the study of human disease is introducing human disease genes into mice and other experimental animals so that the diseases can be studied. We should be very concerned with this effort, which could delay needed research and interfere with the discover of new cures and treatments.
Fantastic. Just another obstacle to the development of my serum to give humans the sonar abilities of bats. I was already getting enough grief from Batman -- all because I turned myself into a Man-Bat Hybrid and went on a crime spree -- does the Caped Crusader have no respect for Science? Now I have to deal with these fools Brownback and Landrieu interfering with my Great Work.
Somebody in Congress needs to take up the really important work of the day: Banning human-ape transmogrification. That'll show Gorilla Grodd what for!
This is a pretty clear violation of our second amendment rights to bear arms. I can't imagine this making it past the Supreme Court.
I support this bill only because it will prevent real furries from existing.
I agree with Kendra, furries are the most horrible and vile creatures in the world, the possibility of these psychos realizing their fetishistic sick dreams would be catastrophic.
You guys are crazy! this is a stupid law, Just like the government to tell us what we can and can not do. This would easily further our research... What's wrong with everyone!??! Ignorance, that's what it is.
All you nay sayers and religious people need to get educated before you try to talk people out of furthering research. Just like in the old days when the church would kill any one against the idea that the earth is not the middle of the universe, well a couple hundred years later we looked back at it and saw how stupid of an idea it was to believe that. I bet in a couple hundred years from now, humans will look back on this law and probably think that it was just as stupid.
Hey LP! I am not a religious person as a matter in fact I am an Atheist and I am all for science!
But nothing and I mean NOTHING is worth the possibility of the creation of a real live breathing anthropomorphic animal! Furries are just not worth it, not even the most fascinating science.
Ok this is totally stupid. We have tons of problems right now mainly the economy and this is what we decide to focus our attetion on. This country is doomed if this is what our goverment is busy doing
Don't write this off too quick. I am an anthro fanatic and I would have no problems with hybrids. The government has already approved cloning, sex changes and gene-manipulation. This is just another step forward.
Personally if they ever do perfect it I'll be first in line. Humans aren't the top of the food chain anyway.
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