Cloning is safer - the perils of sexual DNA combination?

[Duty]

I've known many people who are profoundly deformed and crippled, tragically, due to congenital birth defects. Would not cloning be a preferable means by which the species is perpetuated? Individuality/personality would, of course, still exist due to PROFOUND environmental influences. 

Sci fi?

[BrianSoddingBoru4]

I've known many people who are profoundly deformed and crippled, tragically, due to congenital birth defects. Would not cloning be a preferable means by which the species is perpetuated? Individuality/personality would, of course, still exist due to PROFOUND environmental influences. 

Sci fi?

The biggest drawback to cloning humans appears to be the cost, estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars per clone. On the other hand, you can make people the traditional way for the price of a half bottle of scotch and poor judgement.

Boru

[brewer]

I've known many people who are profoundly deformed and crippled, tragically, due to congenital birth defects. Would not cloning be a preferable means by which the species is perpetuated? Individuality/personality would, of course, still exist due to PROFOUND environmental influences. 

Sci fi?

Genetic screening/counseling, but even then congenital birth defects still occur.

Axlotl tanks?

[Fireball]

I've known many people who are profoundly deformed and crippled, tragically, due to congenital birth defects. Would not cloning be a preferable means by which the species is perpetuated? Individuality/personality would, of course, still exist due to PROFOUND environmental influences. 

Sci fi?

Genetic screening/counseling, but even then congenital birth defects still occur.

Axlotl tanks?

  Don't you remember what the axolotl tanks turned out to be?

[Spongebob]

I've known many people who are profoundly deformed and crippled, tragically, due to congenital birth defects. Would not cloning be a preferable means by which the species is perpetuated? Individuality/personality would, of course, still exist due to PROFOUND environmental influences. 

Sci fi?

Absolutely not!  Combining DNA is what diversifies the gene pool, making the population more robust.  Genetic screening can be used to reduce potential diseases and in the future I believe genetic engineering will be employed.  Resorting to cloning alone would create copies of ourselves.  I would not be interested in that, though I can't speak for future populations.

[arewethereyet]

This concept makes me queasy as it makes me think of eugenics.

[brewer]

Genetic screening/counseling, but even then congenital birth defects still occur.

Axlotl tanks?

  Don't you remember what the axolotl tanks turned out to be?

Oh kamon, they were good breeder vessels, the gholas didn't end up that fucked up.

[Spongebob]

This concept makes me queasy as it makes me think of eugenics.

No doubt, and for good reason.  It would require a level of integrity that humans currently do not possess.  I say that just so everyone understands that I don't take this subject lightly.

Although, I fully expect this technology will be employed before such appropriate time has arrived.  Just because we shouldn't doesn't mean someone won't.

[Duty]

This concept makes me queasy as it makes me think of eugenics.

What is your rational for denoting "eugenics," in all forms, abhorrent, rather than medicinal, dear lady arewethereyet?

---

There was a very recent UK ruling condoning the late abortion of Down Syndrome foetuses, for example.

[arewethereyet]

One example is the movement that took place years ago to stop deaf people from having children. I took several classes on Deaf Culture and had hoped to become an interpreter before I got sidelined with breast cancer. Learning that there was a concerted effort to stop the deaf from having families was sickening. One of my teachers was a CODA (Child of Deaf Adults). She was not hearing impaired but ASL was her first language.

I also worked as a teen with a group of Down's Syndrome kids and was certified to teach swimming lessons to them. While there are certainly challenges...there are also certainly joys.

First of all...who decides what 'defects' should be done away with?

That's a prime example of a very slippery slope.