Question posed by Jaszmyn Epps: On page 103 Skloot writes about how Gey was writing letters to other scientists asking them to restrict their use of HELA cells. Because he was responsible for dispersing the HELA cells should he have the right to say what was done with the cells?
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I feel he should be in charge for dispersing the cells, but he should not have the say what is done with them that should have been for Heneritta and or family to decide.
ReplyDeleteI think that he was trying to close the barn door after the horse had escaped. If he wanted to regulate the use of these cells, any expectations or stipulations should have been clearly stated before they were dispersed. Trying to retroactively request compliance is unreasonable.
ReplyDeleteHe was responsible for them, but I don't suppose he ever set a patent on the cells or anything that would deem them under his ownership.
ReplyDeleteQuite often, when new technologies emerge, there is no precident for managing their use. We see the problem today with computer technology, Internet and web, etc.
ReplyDeleteI think that, in 1951, Gey had no idea how these cells would explode medical research. Once he realized it, it was too late.
You don't have to go very far back to find instances where someone opened the door freely on a new discovery and the resulting use of technology ran rampant.
For example, look at downloading music and video and how the phenomena has run over the top of copyright law. Look at how much money and effort the music industry has put into stopping it, and yet it has taken on a life of its own.
Gey had no chance of stopping it with no financial resources and no system for use control in place before beginning to distribute the cells.