6 of 9

No

Write now Article Tools

Modern science has brought many positive things to mankind. "Positive", however, is often a matter of perspective or hindsight. It was a "positive" thing, for example, import African bees into the United States. Who out there would want a nest of "killer bees" in there back yard? It was a good idea to bring in kudzu to help control erosion in the southern U.S.-too good, apparently, as kudzu vines have all but strangled many areas of the south.

So it is also true with genuine blessings of genetic testing, engineering, and testing. Imagine what the world would be like if we could eliminate genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis, Down's Syndrome, sickle cell anemia, Lesch-Nyhan Syndrome or congenital birth defects. That would obviously be a good thing. The problem is no one can predict the long term effect of such actions, or more importantly how biological systems might react to man's tinkering in the long term.
For example, lets consider sick cell anemia. A genetic disease that causes tremendous suffering particularly to people of African descent. Yet in Africa this devastating genetic "defect" actually protects many people from the more devastating disease of malaria. Think a minute about the closely related field of microbiology. We successfully eliminated the scourge of mankind-small pox-from the human gene pool over thirty years ago. Small pox was fatal in about one-third of all cases. (The two-thirds of people who didn't die would have developed immunity) What would happen if small pox were released into today's world? I shudder to think about the apocalypse.

Over fifty years ago a single madman took a set of ideas from the United States. A set of ideas that would become the foundation of genetic screening (eugenics) and convinced a nation (or more accurately the people who controlled that nation) that Aryans were the superior race. People of low intelligence, with birth defects, Jews and homosexuals were systematically sterilized or murdered. Undoubtedly his plan was to "purify" the human gene pool; make everyone into blond-haired, blue-eyed gods. This is the dark side of genetic engineering and screening. A side that I want no part of.

Learn more about this author, Bobby Brown.
Click here to send this author comments or questions.

Add your voice

Know something about Would you be willing to take advantage of genetic screening/engineering to overcome sterility and guarantee a child free of genetic diseases??
We want to hear your view. Write now!