From: Mike Lorrey (mlorrey@datamann.com)
Date: Tue May 21 2002 - 12:50:09 MDT
Edmund Grech wrote:
>
> I've just seen on the news that an Isreali Scientist has genetically
> engineered a chicken without any feathers; its slated to cause a storm in
> the poultry business. As you an expect the Anti-GM folk are hopping mad. The
> chickens look just like an oven ready bird but walking around still with its
> head attached; it actually quite freaky. It certainly illustrates the speed
> with which we are gaining understanding of genetics; I only hope nothing
> turns out to be wrong with the birds or this could prove another costly blow
> in the public forum for GM products.
Well, in this case it's much ado about nothing. A featherless bird
obviously has much lower survivability in the wild than a feathered
bird, so the risks of naked chickens escaping to the wild to dominate it
over the wild feathered chickens of the world is obviously a bit of a
stretch. So, the more rational luddite arguments have no purchase here.
The only reason the luddites will make hay of it is because a naked
chicken is so damn ugly it's useful for scaremongering.
I am surprised, though, that Tipper Gore and the feminazis aren't up in
arms about the indecency of having pornographic pictures of naked
chickens (females) and no pictures of naked roosters (males), how it is
furthering the cultural memes of exploitation of women. Doesn't the
Communications Decency Act forbid animal pornography like this? ;)
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