DNA exoneration: The Freeing of James Bain

James Bain was 19 years old when he was convicted of burglary as well as the kidnapping and rape of a nine year old boy.  He was convicted using the eyewitness account of the child involved, and was initially put in the line-up because the uncle thought he fit the description.  He was incarcerated for 35 years, the longest of anyone yet exonerated by the innocence project.  When Florida passed a statute allowing cases to be reopened for DNA testing, he requested DNA testing four times but was denied.  He was only allowed to have a hearing when an appeals court ruled that he was entitled to one.  He was going to be set free with conditions attached but the DNA review was completed ahead of time and he was allowed to go free.  He was also given 1.7 million dollars in compensation because the prosecution declared him officially innocent.

DNA fingerprinting has come a long way in the past hundred years.  The study of genetics first came into being in the early 1900, but we did not know the structures of DNA until 1953 when James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the double helix structure.  Then, in 1980 the Cetus Corporation in Berkeley invented the polymerase chain reaction, which is vital to DNA fingerprinting as it multiplies specific DNA fragments.  Finally, in 1985, genetic fingerprinting is used for the first time in a court room.

I have said this before and I’ll say it again: the US justice system is only as honest as the people in it.  That is the nature of things.   As a human organization, it has the fallibilities of humanity at its core, but it is important to remember that in many cases it is effective.  It may be one of the most effective justice systems in the world, and while it has its problems, we can continue evolving it and making it more reliable through time.  DNA fingerprinting is a step forward in this direction.  Because science has entered the courtroom, we finally have objective evidence that points to specific people.  This is probably what I have most taken away from these stories: nothing is perfect, but it’s our job to continue working for change until we are as close as we can get. 

Want to learn more? Go to www.innocenceproject.org 

Lucy´s Story

This podcast follows the heart wrenching story of Lucy the chimpanzee.  In an effort to better understand the psychological state of the chimpanzee´s brain, several scientists decided to raise Lucy as they would a human child.  Later, Jamie was brought into the picture, first as a caretaker, then as Lucy’s main human connection.  Lucy’s life story is the saddening tale of a chimpanzee that finds herself stranded in the gulf between two species, unable to be human, but not exactly chimpanzee.

                Lucy had many human-like qualities that were almost uncanny.  For example, she could use language in a way that showed her grasp of it.  She also responded sexually to images of human males, and was able to recognize and respond to human emotion with emotional feedback herself.  I would classify her as one of the animals that people argue should be classified as “non-human persons”.  Because of this quality, when her “parents” decided to terminate the Lucy experiment, there was a bit of a problem.  They brought Lucy to a nature reserve, but she was showing signs of severe stress, such as infections.  So Jamie ended up taking Lucy and several other experimental chimpanzees.  She took them to a deserted island. Most of the chimpanzees adjusted, but Lucy clung to Jamie for more than a year.  However, after many battles of will, Lucy adjusted to the area and lived there until she died.

                I think one of the big things I will remember is the ethics of this story.  Taking a chimpanzee and making tem human enough to no longer be a chimpanzee, but not human enough to be human, then to abandon them in this in-between state is completely unethical.  You leave the animal with nowhere to fit in.  How can we force that on any person, human or not?  I think it’s sad, that we saw this depth of genuine emotion in Lucy, but were unable to accommodate for her physical needs.  It brings forward the issue of non-human persons.  Should chimpanzees be classified in this category?  One thing’s for sure: leaving these chimpanzees in this half state in immoral and unethical.

Welcome!

Welcome to my biology blog! I am a sophomore at Animas High School. This blog will be a space where I will be posting general assignments, as well as opinions and reactions to whatever we are learning in class. Stay tuned!