Courtney McAffee P.5
People resorted to abortion in previous times to limit population amount. Many of the things that produce the lower bar for self-worth have been recent advancements and developments in this past century. In the 1970s scientists found ways of splitting apart a DNA molecule and found that they could create different genetic combinations. By 1952 the first animal, a tadpole, was cloned in a research lab. (Cohen, 17). Since then researchers have come to clone sheep, goats, cows, mice, pigs, cats, rabbits, and guar. The main issue is if these previous clones can lead to human cloning in future generations. All of these clones were created using nuclear transfer technology.
Aristotle has said, �Music has the power to form character. But while music can ennoble and inspire, it can also degrade." (http://www.mwtb.org/html/417370.html). Although you may not realize, music has a way of degrading and lowering human worth. Inappropriate and negative lyrics are constantly streamed into our minds. Music can make people feel a certain way about themselves or others. The music artists and music videos constantly dress in skimpy clothes and project the image that being popular and rich is more important than going to school and doing something worthwhile.
Another issue that affects the value of human life is the death penalty. All too often is our society putting the death toll on people across the globe. While some may say that the death penalty is necessary. It is not and there are other options to take. This presents a huge problem of whether to take the toll on our people or not.
These issues are such a huge problem because if today�s world keeps devaluating human life, life might not even be worth living to some. All of these conflicts and issues started for some purpose or reason and have led to many reasonable or unreasonable reactions and outcomes.
Abortion has been used for many different reasons. One of those is limiting population amount. I believe that taking an innocent person�s life just to control population amount is disturbing as well as wrong. That�s what abortion is, its control of the circumstances by killing someone as a result. The three main reasons that women have abortions today are: age, marital status, and economic status. (www.religioustolerance.org/abo_why.htm) 90% of these abortions are for personal reasons, 6% medical reasons, and only 1% are due to an abusive sexual act. (Edwards, 29). This shows that for the most part abortions are not necessary; they are just used to benefit the mother.
Clones today are used in advancements in science. One reason for cloning is to alter the clone genetically to meet special or specific purposes. Another reason researchers clone animals is due to nuclear transfer technology, in which they hope to be able to use clones for transplants. Science may even want to go as far as to start cloning humans to satisfy needs of our generations to come.
Another topic that tries to satisfy us with degrading content is music. Music today can be seen as provocative and violent. The target of this music is towards the teenage youth who are susceptible to these unreasonable lyrics. These words are projected to make teens and adults think, act, and behave a certain way. It has been noticed that kids who get in criminal trouble often state that it was the music they listen to that drove them to do such things.
One criminal act that is severely punished is with the death penalty. This penalty is being used to widely in today�s generation as a result of crime. This should never be the option, as should abortion, cloning, and music we listen to.
These current conflicts that are creating a devaluation of human life are continuously increasing day by day in the US and around the entire world. Abortions are among one of the most popular reasons that lead to devaluation of human life. About 43% of American Women alone will have an abortion(s) during their lifetime. (www.religioustolerance.org/abo_why.htm) Most of these abortions are given to women under 25. (www.religioustolerance.org/abo_why.htm) This shows that most of these women are young and most likely reckless. They abuse the ability to have an abortion and don�t think about what they are actually doing, killing the child. Abortion should not be taken lightly; it is being way overused as an escape to get away from the burden of going through pregnancy or living with the child afterward. S. Boyd states, � Making the decision to terminate a pregnancy or to bring a fetus to term is not a luxury. The right to choose is not a luxury; it is a responsibility that demands intense introspection and awareness.� (Boyd, 26)
Another issue that takes huge responsibility is cloning, which is another way that scientists �believe� we can lift some burdens off our shoulders. But really cloning is degrading and lowering the value of human life because pretty soon they will be able to just create a life. Cloning today is mainly used for scientific development. Scientists and researchers are cloning animals that are genetically altered for special or specific needs and purposes. The big question�is cloning of humans in our future? Steps have already been made toward cloning a whole human. In November 2001, scientists in Maine successfully cloned a human into a 6-celled embryo for stem cell research purposes. The answer is that it is definitely possible to clone a human, yet it most likely won�t occur because of controversial issues.
Music in today�s world is another controversial issue that is used to arouse and degrade the youth. �People are always talking about how they don't want to be disrespected, but when you think about it, you're disrespecting yourself and your people by listening to degrading music.� (Braxton, Theres More to a Song than Music).
Abortion, cloning, the death penalty, stem cell research and degrading music are all issues in today�s world that our generation is growing up in. I believe that abortion is a reckless way to get rid of a problem that women don�t want to deal with in this fast paced world. Many abortions leave women feeling guilty, angry and remorseful. (Terkel, 27). Abortions are very abundant. There are approximately 126,000 abortions conducted each day, and in 61% of the countries of the world say it is legal. (Katz, Nikki).
Cloning is a very risky an unnecessary measure being taken by researchers across the world. More than 90% of cloning attempts fail to produce viable offspring. (Cohen, 31) Cloned animals tend to have more compromised immune function and higher rates of infection, tumor growth and other disorders. (Cohen, 34) Clones have been known to die mysteriously or at a young age. Why should we risk having these things happen to animals or even humans? Just for one normal clone out of many attempts? I don�t think so. Researchers are making such rapid developments in technology that soon they will hold the power to possibly clone humans. Should society come to cloning humans? Cloning should not ever become to the point where it is used for luxury or as a back up for life.
Another life or death situation is on the factor of the death penalty. The death penalty is a huge factor used in today�s prisons and places throughout the world. Should we really kill people due to actions they are going to regret? This goes all the way back to the old laws, an eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth. Some people even believe that a lifetime in prison can be a worse sentence than dying and not having to live with the guilt for the rest of the criminal�s life.
Music has become such a huge problem in the world and most of us don�t even realize it. Many teens say that they don�t even really listen to the words in songs. Or do they? These words are often provocative, especially in today�s times. Many songs flow into our households, schools, and work areas through the radio where many of these degrading songs are broadcasted.
Solutions for these problems can be sought and carried out if we would just take a stand against the non-ending devaluation of human life. On the case of abortion, why should abortion be the outcome of being unexpectedly pregnant? Abortion should never be the option women choose to get rid of the �problem� they most likely brought upon themselves. There are other options open to women who cannot financially support the child, who don�t want to handle it, or don�t want the child due to pressures and embarrassment. Women can go through the pregnancy process and give the baby up for adoption so a loving mother can care for the baby instead of taking the baby�s precious life. Other options other than death are usually always open. Except for the case of medical reasons, such as the death or potential harm to the mother, or in cases where the women are victims of sexual abuse, abortion should not be the answer. I believe that we can take steps towards stopping or slowing down abortion by monitoring what the reasons are women are getting abortions. Women that are getting them for personal reasons should not be able to kill the child for their own personal benefit.
It is believed that cloning can have several negative consequences, such as people being cloned to give transplants, dying humans can have themselves replaced through cloning, or the most extreme turn of cloning � trying to obtain a perfect human. Will this quest ever be obtained? Hopefully it will never come to this. One of the immediate solutions of stopping cloning is to ban it in the US. The problem with this is that cloning is accepted in other countries. I believe that countries should take steps to slow down cloning and steer away from human cloning.
Another thing that is degrading to our society is the music. One solution is to monitor songs that are distributed over the radio for bad language or inappropriate songs. We could also make an age level to buy certain CD�s. Beyond music there are worse penalties: the death penalty. I believe that the death penalty should not be an option in any country and that a lifetime in prison should be the sentence instead.
Future generations are definitely going to be affected by the choices that we make today. Do we continue to clone animals and possibly humans, what toll will abortion take on future generations, or why do some criminals have to be put to death? These are all questions that people are trying answer during our time. I believe that abortion will most likely continue for generations to come because people are always going to have self-doubts and personal issues about pregnancy.
People also have issues with cloning. I believe that cloning will continue in the future with animals and stem cell research and such, yet I don�t believe that they will make cloning humans a practice because there are to many controversial issues that go along with it.
Another issue that we deal with is controversial music. I think that the music will get even worse in the years to come because so many people believe that music does not affect them in any way. But this is simply not true, it has a large impact on our lives. If the people continue to listen to degrading music, our society will plummet into a society which lowers thee value of self-worth.
There are also many controversial issues concerning the death penalty. Many believe that it is not good to take someone�s life even though they may have done the same thing, while others think that it is the logical punishment for such a severe act. I think that the death penalty will continue throughout the world but I think that the means of killing the criminal will change. It already has in some states by using the syringe instead of the electric chair. Whatever method is used, it is still unjust. Many things are unjust in this world, but there are somethings that we can do about it.
Throughout history there has been a subtle progression of devaluation of human life through abortion, cloning, stem cell research, death penalty, and even music, these categories all lead towards producing a lower bar for self-worth. By preventing abortion, cloning, death penalty, and degrading music, we can make society and generations to come a better place.
WORKS CITED
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