Of Health and Wealth
The Issue:
@@CAPITAL@@ Medical Research Institute recently discovered a cure for a rare but deadly disease using the unique blood genetics of residents of a small town in rural @@NAME@@. The institute is now seeking to patent and sell this cure, claiming that consent was acquired prior to commencing the study. Town residents however, now aware of their true genetic value, are protesting that they should have ownership over the cure.
The Debate:
1. "Look, all those country bumpkins—I mean, valued hemoglobin donors did was give up a little blood," insists Director @@RANDOMNAME@@, while placing a teetering stack of research papers on your desk with a loud thud. "We got proper consent, provided compensation, and followed all protocols. If you read through these, you'll see that we're the ones who did all the work in researching the cure, so we have every right to sell it." @@HE@@ concludes, right as the tower of research papers topples over and scatters across your office floor.
Effect: the blood, sweat, and tears of poor @@DEMONYMPLURAL@@ make research institutes rich
2. "Now you wait a minute!" roars town resident @@RANDOMNAME@@, leaving dirty boot prints on the fallen research papers as @@HE@@ storms into your office. "That cure belongs to us, and ain't nobody else should have rights to it. Those stuck-up researchers used so much science mumbo-jumbo we barely even knew what they were researching, much less that they'd be making money off of it! You can't call that consent, which means we're the real owners of the cure! Prevent that greedy institute from patenting the cure, and give us the right to sell it instead!"
Effect: citizens often receive cure patents alongside ancestry information from DNA test kits
3. "Why are we arguing over this?" asks Dr. @@RANDOMNAME@@, while collecting and brushing dirt off of the scattered papers. "We have a cure for a deadly disease. The government should take control over its production and distribution, so that no @@DEMONYM@@ suffers from it any longer. In fact, the government should just take over the whole health care system, to ensure the people are actually getting the treatment they need."
Effect: surgical tape has taken on a distinctly red color
5th Draft
4th Draft
3rd Draft
2nd Draft
1st Draft