谁给了我们改变基因的权力？
在网上看到一篇文章”Altering Genetics(Just because we can, should we?)”，对人类改造基因的行为持谨慎和悲观的态度。通俗地讲，你手里有一把菜刀，难道你就可以用它来杀人吗？对于基因改造，我们如何权衡利弊，如何来确定我们所做的不止对当前，而且从长远看都是安全的？
在培育不同颜色的玫瑰新品种的过程中，其固有的一些芳香已经丢失。对植物进行的遗传学改造使其抗病力下降。给奶牛注射BCG虽然提高了牛奶的产量，奶牛更易患感染性疾病，牛奶的成分亦有所改变。而防腐剂和添加剂在食品工业中的广泛应用使男性精子的数量下降。我们总是无法做到十全十美，总是盲目地乐观，看不到隐藏在后面的危险。
自然界花费了几十亿年的时间才使得世界如此地和谐，它所做的只是细微的改变和调整，此为天之道。那么人之道呢？
在过去的100年里，人类对自然界的改造已经超过了过去一百万年自然界所做的，而且这种改造都是不可逆的。我们意识到这样做的后果了吗？
最有争议的大概是堕胎了，赞同的人会说这样可以减少贫困和犯罪，或许也是控制人口的需要。毫无疑问堕胎的行为改变了人群的基因面貌，作者更认为这是一种种族或者说人种的歧视，抹杀了生命的价值，使得社会的道德和伦理面临危机。我们有没有权力去判定另一个个体的生死？胎儿亦是一个独立的生命，科学从未否认这一点。争论的焦点不是胎儿是否是”human being”，而是他／她何时具有法律赋予的权利。
即使人类改造基因的动机是好的，我们是否走的太快？一时失足就可能对人类造成毁灭性的后果。千里之堤，溃于蚁穴。知否？
伟大的人物总是受困于各种各样的缺陷。从苏格拉底到林肯，从凡高到海明威，从Helen Keller到Kurt Cobain，从爱迪生到爱因斯坦，甚至该文的作者也承认自己也有ADD。没有这些人，世界会变的更好吗？除了和自然界的抗争，人亦有创造性，即改造自身的能力。波澜不惊的生命往往一事无成，在逆境中的抗争却总是孕育伟大的灵魂。我们有选择生命个体的能力，当我们行使这种权力的时候却不得不三思。
在文章的最后，作者写到，我宁愿做一个谨慎前行的盲人，而不是一个盲目前行的傻瓜。
还是回到菜刀的话题。你或许会说，我拿菜刀杀人，杀的都是坏人。可刀是不长眼的。你又会说，重要的不是菜刀，而是菜刀在谁的手里。可是谁又知道你是不是本拉登？
(部分资料译自http://www.journaloftheoretics.com/Editorials/Vol-1/e1-5.htm)
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