I would like to address a comment made by someone earlier in this thread. I won't link the name, only the comment, as it is not the individual but
the
idea that bothers me.
They dug up the bodies of the 1918 flu victims because they wanted to see if the strain had any relation to the H5N1 variety. How else would
virologists find out? Since they knew how the 1918 variety spread and how lethal it was it was important information. No conspiracy just people doing
their job properly to ensure the fight against a deadly flu strain is effective.
This thirst for knowledge supposedly for our 'own good' is a recurring philosophy among scientist. For example: Lets throw some atoms together at
light speed and see what happens! We're not totally sure, we kinda have an idea, but
we really need to know to make your life better.
We don't
think it will make a black hole that will suck the earth into it tho.
Some things should just remain in the realm of unknowns. Just from common sense. The 1918 flu virus certainly falls under this criteria. It is done
and over! Why would we need to dig it up? So that even if you did a full genetic mapping of it and by some chance identify the exact part that makes
it easily spread and a killer maybe it will save some lives?
But take this pandemic we are in. It supposedly started back in early April? As noted today in the Canadian press conference the farmer infected his
pigs around April 14th (after a trip to Mexico). It was not until around 24th that their illness was fully noted and testing began. And it is now
being released to the public on May the 2nd?? Do you see where I am going with this?
It doesn't matter if you can look at the H1N1 or anything else and say, 'ohh its kinda like the 1918 one!'.
Who cares! By the time you do
that how many are going to be sick and dieing, or dead. And knowing the genetic makeup of the 1918 flu is not going to help anyone make any future
vaccines for a future virus.
BUT knowing what is special about the 1918 flu would be very beneficial to someone trying to engineer a weapon with the sole purpose of killing
people.
So I really wish that scientist playing around with things like this, that could potentially be hazardous to the general public would just leave some
things alone. If you want to invent a better reactor, awesome! But digging up a 100 plus year old virus that killed millions?? Seriously!!
And I wish people using this as an argument, that it is okay to dig up dead bodies to do this, would just stop. Because in my book it just doesn't
cut it!
((edited for some grammar))
[edit on 5/3/2009 by toepick]