From: Chris Fedeli (fedeli@email.msn.com)
Date: Tue Sep 07 1999 - 16:33:49 MDT
Full article at
http://www.wired.com/news/news/culture/story/21603.html?1
Here's an excerpt:
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[National Institute of Health gene specialist, Dean Hamer]
was in the crowd later for Jeremy Rifkin's crowd-pleasing
speech, which offered a vision of why people need to resist
the march forward in the application of biotechnology.
Described by Wired Magazine last year as "the global
village's town crier," Rifkin reiterated many of the
arguments presented in his 14th book, The Biotech Century:
Harnessing the Gene and Remaking the World.
According to Rifkin, the issue of genetic rights will loom
over the biotech century like civil and human rights did in
the 20th century.
Rifkin talked about genes as the crucial natural resource of
the 21st century. He assured the young people in the crowd
that they would live to see "gene wars." He talked about the
possibility of extinction of our species if genetic
engineering weakens the gene pool. And he warned against
turning genetic engineering into an accepted tool of
parenthood.
It was all too much for Hamer, who used the
question-and-answer session after Rifkin's talk to grab a
mike and, voice trembling somewhat, announce: "I was
surprised to find that you are really a closet eugenicist.
What gives you the right to say whether I have the right to
have a child (free of certain genetically programmed
illnesses)?"
Rifkin and Hamer went at each other after that, trading
cutting remarks. Rifkin blasted the US scientific
establishment for conflict of interest, given the many
scientists who sit on corporate boards. He called on Hamer
to lead the charge against such conflict of interest, vowing
to write him a long letter.
"I'll await the letter," Hamer said, sounding conciliatory.
"And I guarantee you won't follow up on it," Rifkin said,
turning away in a huff.
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