Reproductive Cloning and a Child's Right to an Open Future

An open future, whether for a child or an adult,future of these children.
implies the freedom to choose one's ownParents may clone an already born child in the
interests, activities, occupations, and careers.hope of having a second child who is exactly like
Possessed of an open future a person is free tothe first. The first child may be a star athlete or
choose her friends, colleagues, and romantichave the perfect combination of skin, hair, and
partners, as well as to choose her hometown,eye color. The first child may be a piano prodigy
political affiliations, and path in life.or possess a beautiful singing voice. The parents
Many people have never had such blessings.fully expect the second child to reproduce the
Persons who lived in a dictatorial society, such ascharacteristics and qualities of the first.
the former Soviet Union, did not have an openAs such, an open future is denied to the new
future. In China, where families are only permittedchild. The second child's future is already mapped
one child, a person's future falls very short ofout for her by her parents. She is expected to
being an open one. In failed states such ashave the same interests and qualities as her sibling
Somalia, no one has an open future. In nationsfrom who she has been cloned. Further, she is not
experiencing ongoing religious warfare such asvalued for herself. Rather she is valued merely as
Iraq, very few can secure the privilege of ana copy of a child who is already deemed a
open future. The fortunate citizens of the Unitedsuccess. If she tries to forge her own identity she
States have the very concept of open futuremay lose her parents love and support. She may
enshrined in their nation's formative document, thechoose autonomously but does so in the face of
Declaration of Independence - "We hold thesegrave potential loss.
truths to be self-evident, that all men are createdAlternatively, parents may choose to clone a
equal, that they are endowed by their Creatorrelative or friend whose physical characteristics
with certain unalienable Rights, that among theseand occupation they admire. They might select
are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."DNA-to-be-cloned from an array of celebrity DNA.
Parents are expected to provide for the possibilityIn all cases they intend to have a child who will
of their children's open future. Parents hold themimic the qualities of that person from whom the
future autonomy of their children in trust and arechild is cloned. Opponents of reproductive cloning
expected to honor this precious commitment.believe that if this technology is permitted to
Opponents of reproductive cloning argue thatcome in the front door, an open future for such
parents of children born via cloning technology willchildren will go out the window.
act in ways that will violate the right to an open