7 November 2016

Dear President Trump:

Imagine that you are sitting in a clinic with your spouse waiting on the results from the embryonic scan of your future child. The nurse comes in to tell you that your child will have brown eyes and brown hair, but that is not the desire of your spouse and yourself. Together you come to the conclusion that you will allow the doctor to change the color of the baby’s eyes to blue and their hair to blonde. Children like these who are genetically designed are called “designer babies.” By definition, “designer babies are children whose genetic characteristics have been artificially selected or modified to ensure specific intellectual and cosmetic characteristics.” Designing babies is morally wrong and there should be legislations established to stop it from happening.

People come to think designing babies should be allowed or accepted, but that should not be the case. While embryonic scans can detect different diseases and disorders that can be treated in the embryonic stage, these can cause a chain reaction of other genes being altered, leading to long term damage. Although genetic science is advancing to provide the capability to completely design a baby, which is a great leap in the world of science, it is a great downfall when considering the true meaning of human existence and diversity. Parents can find a special joy in designing their child to be exactly what they want, but by doing this the parents are defying the rules of nature and assuming the power of God.

The option of designing a baby’s eyes, designing the baby’s hair, and designing the baby’s overall looks is completely up to the parents. The child that is in the womb does not have a say on what is chosen for them. Sharon Duchesneau and her partner Candy McCullough had their child designed to be deaf because they both were and wanted their child to be the same as them. They inflicted a handicap on their child that the child could have fought against if it was able to have a say in the decision. As stated in the book of Genesis, all humans are created by God. The power to design, to create, and to invent people belongs to God, not to a parent wishing to make their child what they desire. These parents are not only acting as God, but they are defying nature by altering their child’s initial existence.

The process of genetic alterations can be dangerous to the child and can cause future issues as they become adults. When one gene is altered it can start a chain reaction affecting other genes by this one small change which can cause long term damage. This process can cause dangers such as: inserting an irregular gene that can cause issues in the genetic makeup of a human. Because of these dangers, out of the 30 industrialized countries, 77% have banned or outlawed embryonic screening for non-medical purposes. If the other countries with the same technologies outlaw it because of the dangers it has, then why should the United States allow this to be legal?

The expenses of the embryonic scan and genetic alterations tend to be particularly high. Generally, the wealthy are the only people who can afford the expenses to scan and design their child. Those who are poor or lack funds cannot afford to design their babies. Neither the poor nor most of the middle class can afford to genetically alter their child to be what they want. The fact that only the rich can afford such procedures can cause a vast separation between the wealthy and the impoverished.

Allowing parents to utilize the newly advanced power to design their children should be prohibited. Advances in genetic technology can lead to redefining human existence overall. As Jeremy Rifkin says, “Genetic engineers represent our fondest hopes and aspirations as well as our darkest fears and misgivings.” Although these advancements are seen as accomplishments in the eyes of science, they are seen as dark and dangerous fears in the eyes of numerous human beings. Designing babies is wrong! To save humanity as it is and is meant to be, the scanning of embryos for non-medical purposes and the designing of children should be made illegal.

Sincerely,

A Young American Citizen

Bibliography

"Introduction to Human Genetics: Opposing Viewpoints." Human Genetics, edited by Louise I. Gerdes, Greenhaven Press, 2014. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ReferenceDetailsPage/ReferenceDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=Reference&currPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010916101&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.

Middle, Cheryl. "The Nonmedical Screening of Embryos Should Be Banned." Designer Babies, edited by Clayton Farris Naff, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=true&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010850204&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=true. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016. Originally published as "Deliver Us from Designer Babies: Without Strong New Laws, We Will Have Many More Dr. Jeff Steinbergs" in New York Daily News, 6 Mar. 2009.

Thadani, Rahul. "The Public Should Oppose Designer Baby Technology." 2013. Designer Babies, edited by Clayton Farris Naff, Greenhaven Press, 2013. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsDetailsPage/ViewpointsDetailsWindow?disableHighlighting=&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&currPage=&dviSelectedPage=&scanId=&query=&source=&prodId=OVIC&search_within_results=&p=OVIC&mode=view&catId=&u=lafa43079&limiter=&display-query=&displayGroups=&contentModules=&action=e&sortBy=&documentId=GALE%7CEJ3010850210&windowstate=normal&activityType=&failOverType=&commentary=. Accessed 11 Nov. 2016.