20/02/02

The GE free activist organisation Groundswell gave a verbal submission to the select committee considering the HSNO Amendment Bill on Wednesday night and blasted the government for allowing the potential of the genetic engineering of human beings.

Groundswell spokesperson Tremane Barr said, “The supplementary Order Paper that the government sneaked into the HSNO Bill in late December allows for the Minister of Health to approve the germline genetic engineering of human beings. The genetic engineering of a master race even with permission from the Minister of Health is completely unacceptable to us – germline genetic engineering must be banned outright.”

Germline genetic engineering is a process where many scientists around the world are working to develop the technique of either putting desired genes into, or taking unwanted ones out of, the DNA of a potential human being in a test tube prior to implantation in the womb.

“If this GE technology was ever successfully developed, and how many deformed human abominations are acceptable to develop this technology, it would mean that those who could afford it would be able to enhance the genetic make-up of their offspring in test tubes before they are even born. This raises the evil spectre of a new eugenics nightmare where the rich can have their offspring genetically enhanced to become a new master race,” said Tremane Barr.

“We thought the other aspects of the bill to allow GE field trials of unstable GMOs to pollute the environment would be our main source of disagreement with the HSNO Bill. Instead, we find ourselves having to fight for the very existence of what it means to be an ordinary human being.”

Jeremy Rifkin in his book “The Biotech Century” gave an idea of how this eugenics future could look where he stated that, "Genetic engineers believe that a future genetocracy is all but inevitable. Molecular biologist Lee Silver of Princeton University writes about a not too distant future made up of two distinct biological classes, which he refers to as the Gen Rich and Naturals. The Gen Rich, which account for 10% of the population, have been enhanced with synthetic genes and have become the rulers of society. They include Gen Rich businessmen, musicians, artists, intellectuals, and athletes, each enhanced with specific synthetic genes to allow them to succeed in their respective fields in ways not even conceivable among those born of natures lottery. At the centre of this new genetic aristocracy are the Gen Rich scientists, who are enhanced with special genetic traits that greatly increase their mental abilities, giving them the power to dictate the terms of future evolutionary advances on Earth.”

“The very future of human evolution is at stake here in this Bill and we call on the government to totally ban the germline genetic engineering of human beings,” said Tremane Barr.

For further information contact:
Tremane Barr Ph: (03) 981-5235 or Email: tremane.barr@clear.net.nz

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