DEAD IS, LIKE, DEAD

I have fondness for pets like any rational person but then I am a rational person. I am not the couple, Nina and Edgar Otto of Florida, who paid $155,000 to clone their Lab dog who died of cancer.

Let's look at this logically. The cute fuzzy puppy, that cost more than most yearly incomes, has the same genetic structure as its predecessor. This will be an expensive heartache because the dog probably has cancer lurking in its genes. Those people were out of the loop when the teacher discussed Mendel or Watson and Crick. The Ottos' wish for a genetic similar pet to their beloved deceased is animal cruelty. The owners' tampering with nature, on a philosophical level, is a dishonour to their lost friend. When you love someone, even an animal, there is that only one. The Ottos have disparaged the uniqueness of their former pet as just a product.

In human terms, with so many that will lose their jobs and that have lost their jobs, the Ottos' purchase of this re-created animal is a slap in a face to all humanity. Why does a cloned beast have more worth than a starving child? They should be widely condemned for their lack of consideration to humans and to non-humans.Three to four million animals are euthanized each year. The Obamas, unlike the Ottos, show what true leadership means in this country. The President and First Lady plan to adopt a shelter dog.


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