Genetically Design Children?

As we progress into the future, new topics arise, new inventions are upon us, and new advances in medicine are being discovered. Recently there has been a lot of talk in the news about stem cell research and trying to clone humans. Animals already have been cloned and it is a matter of time before humans can be created by cloning. As research furthers with stem cells, the question arises, should parents be able to genetically design their children? I believe that parents should not be able to do so.

First to start off, there is a positive aspect to genetically designing a child. By doing so you can rid your child of cancer. As in Nancy Gibbs article, "Wanted: Someone to Play God" she talks about how a couple can screen out embryos for cystic fibrosis and cancer risks. Now this sounds like a wonderful idea, birth survival rates would increase, and life expectancy as well. But in a way this takes away from being able to conquer obstacles of life. Many cancer surviving patients can say with confidence that they are stronger as a person after beating cancer. And those that have done so or may have lost the battle, don’t take life for granted. They live everyday to the fullest and enjoy it more than anyone could imagine. The positive aspects of genetically engineering are completely out weighed by the negative aspects though.

If genetically engineering a child becomes legal, no longer will there be uniqueness to the children that are born. Not before long everyone would be looking the same, in a long term way it would create a superior race. No one is going to want a child that people would think less of because of the way they look, so naturally they would want the best they can provide for their child. And to do so, they would engineer their child to look like others, to be accepted into society with as much ease as possible. Conformity though would begin to take over, non-conformity would be an idea of the past. As I see in Brave New World, by Aldous Huxley, their society seems perfect on the outside but truly it is not. They are made to believe that they are happy, that life is wonderful. But they are not free, they belong to the community, they can not be themselves. Their lives and everything about them are structured. It is only a matter of time before genetically engineering children turns into creating perfect societies. History shows the attempt of creating so called utopian communities but never can perfection be achieved. As Nancy Gibbs stated, "We are on a road toward reproduction that does not require eggs and sperm at all." Taking away that experience of creating a baby would be devastating, it is a part of life that brings joy to a couple for now they are not just a couple, but a complete family.

Genetically engineering children can take away cancers, thus allowing people to live longer, but life would be taken for granted. Nothing would be appreciated. Positive in a way but also negative. Then you have the idea of conformity taking over, a superior race rising above others. No one would be themselves anymore, uniqueness would be an idea of the past. Possibly you even have the creation of a society where everyone is the same, people would become drones. I believe firmly that parents should not be able to genetically engineer their children.