Should parents be allowed to genetically modify their children?
When thinking about the different races, it brings up a question: Should parents be allowed to genetically modify their children to make them as perfect as possible? I personally think that if a couple is only going to have one child, then they should have the option to genetically modify their child. However, if they have more than one child, I think that they should not be allowed to genetically modify either child because then most people would have similar desires for their children such as height and strong muscles, which would end up in very little variation between all of the children as they grew.For example, if the dad wants the son to be a basketball player or a sportsman in general, they might choose traits that would make the kid have stronger muscles or taller height.
Overall, I think that Parents should only be allowed to genetically modify their children to have the traits that they desire, if they only have one child. If too many people plan to have a second child and want to genetically modify their embryo then there would not be much variation in the world which might result in everyone buying the same or similar things, and life would be much more stressful in general.
Overall, I think that Parents should only be allowed to genetically modify their children to have the traits that they desire, if they only have one child. If too many people plan to have a second child and want to genetically modify their embryo then there would not be much variation in the world which might result in everyone buying the same or similar things, and life would be much more stressful in general.
I disagree and feel that the question brought up in the first sentence, of whether parents should be allowed to genetically modify their children to make them "as perfect as possible" in regards to "different races", exacerbates the issue of racism and ignorance when it comes to what society views as racial distinctions and conflicts with the information we have discussed in class over the last couple weeks about race. Humans are actually genetically very similar, despite what "race" may tell us. In reality, "races" are defined differently in different places around the world, illustrating the lack of actual evidence proving what each "race" truly is. Further, the external traits which we characterize as belonging to different racial groups are, contrary to popular belief, not actually indications of definite genetic similarities, evident once we look beyond skin color and similar physical characteristics rooted in the geographic backgrounds, between people who appear similar, "racially", on the outside. In fact, someone is just as likely to be as genetically similar to someone considered to be in his or her same "race" as to someone considered to be in a different "race". In simplest terms, race is a social-political construct created by humans, and, although its effects are certainly very real and have a constant impact on people's lives, there is actually no genetic basis for race. The ethics of modifying the human genome are widely debated, with various factors taken into consideration (see the article linked below); however, the idea of embryo gene editing comes from a health standpoint and a desire to potentially prevent genetic diseases, which definitely do not include being part of a certain race.
ReplyDeletehttps://www.eurostemcell.org/ethics-changing-genes-embryo
I think that you bring up an interesting idea. However, I believe that whether we genetically modify our children or not should not be based around how many children you have. Rather, the core of the argument is based on the ethics and who access to genetic modification. The common argument against genetic modification is that only affluent individuals will be able to afford these services. Because of this limitation, there will be a greater class disparity. Rich people will be the only class with "perfect" children, leading to limited success for everyone else. I think the conversation should be based more around who has access to genetic modification, rather than how many children one has, and the effects of differing access.
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