Genetically modified human embryo stirs criticism

NEW YORK (AP) - News that scientists have for the first time genetically altered a human embryo is drawing fire from some watchdog groups that say it's a step toward creating "designer babies."

But an author of the study says the work was focused on stem cells. He notes that the researchers used an abnormal embryo that could never have developed into a baby anyway.

The "work was focused on stem cells." And this defective rationalization is supposed to excuse his ghoulish work? And then he sinks even further into his cesspool of warped reasoning by claiming that he used "an abnormal embryo that could never have developed into a baby anyway."

What naturally flows from his excuse? Let me re-phrase it for future use:

"It was embryo with brown eye genes that could never have developed into the baby we desired," or

"It was an embryo that would have developed into a baby who could have been born blind," or

"It was a embryo that was destined to suffer [name your disease] if it had been born anyway."

"None of us wants to make designer babies," said Dr. Zev Rosenwaks, director of the Center for Reproductive Medicine and Infertility at NewYork-Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical Center.

I'd be curious to know where the emphasis was in this quote. Could it be:

"None of us wants to make designer babies," [we have to] or

"None of us wants to make designer babies," [only better babies] or

"None of us wants to make designer babies" [only new types of creatures].

Marcy Darnovsky, associate executive director of the Center for Genetics and Society, said the Cornell scientists were developing techniques that others might use to make genetically modified people, "and they're doing it without any kind of public debate."

And why is there no debate?

What a frightening phrase - "genetically modified people." Images of both Frankenstein and "Soylent Green" come to mind. And human life is deliberately destroyed in the process.