page two 
Dr Gartland 
September 26, 1984 
do not believe him. Furthermore, I do not consider similar experiments 
between other mammalian species to be an intrusion that violates the 
"telos of each species and is morally reprehensible." Mr Rifkin seems 
to be trying to impose upon us a morality which is perhaps his own or 
that of his colleagues, in a way that is absolute and precludes appropriate 
discussions in the context of individual situations. This is a form of 
fascism. 
The second point which I wish to make is a philosophical one rather than 
a biological one. We humans are participating in the process of evolution 
per se. By that I mean that our ability, acquired through evolution, to 
manipulate genomes by selective breeding and more recently by recombinant 
DNA technology is an integral component of evolution itself and is not, 
as has been claimed in the past, "tinkering with evolution." Instead, 
it Is evolution. Because of our evolved level of consciousness, we as 
human beings must however utilize appropriately our consciousness and 
ability to anticipate as we effect our role in the evolution of our own 
and other species on this planet. Thus, I do not subscribe to the 
premise that we as human beings must through regulatory agencies exercise 
control over evolution by forbidding specified acts of nature, we being 
mere agents of nature. 
To amend the NIH Guidelines with Mr Rifkin' s proposals is clearly 
unacceptable to our society. 
Sincerely yours. 
David W. Martin, Jr., M.D. 
Adjunct Professor of Medicine and Biochemistry 
[ 447 ] 
