Here comes (double) trouble

Ricky is 11 years old and wants to be an emergency-room doctor when he grows up. He has had some behavioral problems in the past, possibly because he has shuffled between homes throughout childhood. He wants a family and a big brother to be his role model.

Ricky is one of the countless children in state and private foster-care agencies waiting to be adopted. Most UW students grew up with at least one biological parent and never had to deal with the constant upheaval that foster children face as home after home fails to "work out." Now, one more obstacle may be put into place, unless the nation acts in time.

Cloning used to be the stuff of science fiction. As scientists take strides in genetic technology that exceed anything humans have witnessed before, cloning has become reality. The duplication of human beings is beginning to feel like an inevitable step. After all, what science can do, science will do. We hardly have time to consider whether or not we should venture into a new field before we have already walked through the door.

Recently, the atmosphere surrounding cloning discussions resembles a three-ring circus. The Raelians, a religious group that believes humans were created by "the ones who came from the sky," announced that its corporation, Clonaid, had successfully orchestrated the births of three cloned children. Given the Raelians interesting philosophical beliefs, the scientific community remains largely skeptical of its claims.

Despite the ridiculousness of the current debate, the question of cloning is serious and needs to be considered by scientists and citizens alike -- before technology advances again. Apart from the moral vs. immoral stance that many advocates and opponents take, a greater issue remains unresolved.

In 1998, more than 500,000 children floated through the nation's foster system. Of these, thousands were available for adoption -- relatively few found permanent homes.

Imagine, for a moment, that human cloning overcomes numerous medical setbacks and reaches a stage in which it can be utilized by average citizens. Should parents be allowed to clone their genes for the perfect offspring when children are waiting in the social-care system for someone to take them home? American parents are already torn between adopting children in the states and abroad. Should one more choice be added to the mix at the expense of countless children who already need families?

It may never be a problem, but a nagging voice in the back of the mind suggests that at least a few foster children may someday be forsaken for genetic copies of parents who want to pass on their family traits. Today, few speak for orphaned kids lost in the system. Some will bounce from home to home until they are legally old enough to fend for themselves - a terrible situation for any child to endure. We already have more children than families who will care for them. If cloning poses additional setbacks for children like Ricky, it is time to reconsider the merits of our latest technological leaps.