Eugenics, genetics, your kids and mine...

[futurebird.livejournal.com]

An important question looming on the horizon is: "to what extent can couples determine the genetic make-up of their kids."

I have a simple answer: "It's not evil eugenics if a majority of those with the genetic trait advocate helping future children avoid it. "


For example, I'm quite short, this has not really had a positive impact on my life my husband is tall and I'd be quite happy to let his genes take over the whole height thing. I'd have a similar feeling were I abnormally tall. On the other hand it'd make me angry if someone ruled out darker skin for our child, that'd be cowing to the pressure of racism, I think ... and creepy. (dark skin also protects one from skin cancers and painful sunburns) I don't envy the lengths my husband must go to avoid getting burned. My husband has often been quite cheerful about the prospect of his kids not having a hard time with the sun as he has.

So, I think the solution is to ask people who have these traits if they *want* them passed on or not. In that sense, maybe the "looming question" isn't so big-- most couples will naturally want persevere human diversity, but will not have much interest in saving traits that just make life more difficult.

But of course things are not that simple. Many black folks (for example) might have chosen lighter skin (and some might do so today) to protect their child from racism. I find this depressing and my instinct is to find a way to prevent it. But, should the state have any place in such choices?

There are lots of people who would quickly choose to reduce the chance of their child being gay (I doubt being gay is as simple as a single gene, so mercifully it may not be possible to tamper with this without tampering with other traits) --on the one hand, maybe it's good that gay kids don't end up being born to intolerant people, on the other, there are enough intolerant people that, if the genetics of sexuality were simple enough, we'd probably see a sharp decine in the gay population. I think this is really depressing.

Now I treated the height issue like it was simple, but there are probably some short people who feel differently.

I think we could come up with reasonable laws by asking those who have a given gene what they think about people selecting for it or against it.

And now for a incomplete poll:


[Poll #1768916]

PS. Here is a great documentary that relates to these questions.

Comments

[bex.livejournal.com]

An athletic prowess isn't "superficial" it enhances ones ability to enjoy life.

Athletic prowess is not just one thing, though. I suuuuuuck at running - I don't know why, I just do. However, I'm good at dancing. Dancing is an athletic endeavor. There are a few people out there who seem to be good at every sport, but most of us just have one or two we actually enjoy. I'd like to run a marathon, too. If I want to do that, it will take hard work and I'll need to overcome my limitations - isn't that the whole point? Would you deprive your child the character-building experience of doing something that is important to him at which he doesn't immediately excel? I think it's important to have things in life that you struggle with but want to fight through. I think being around a person who has a natural ability for everything they want to do would be ridiculously dull.

I just think, as Meus says below, we don't know nearly enough about this stuff to be selecting for or against it. Maybe struggling with teenage acne has made you a better person in some ways, perhaps more compassionate or understanding - who knows? Besides, eradicate acne and kids will tease about something else. The acne is not the point.

[futurebird.livejournal.com]

Maybe struggling with teenage acne has made you a better person in some ways, perhaps more compassionate or understanding - who knows?

It hasn't. Trust me.

I just don't buy this "everything happens for a reason" stuff that seems to be behind people who want to stand in the way of people making these kinds of choices for their kids. Lots of things happen for no good reason and they aren't good, they're just ... bad.

If we can use technology to change that I'm more than happy to get on board. We can always freeze some sperm if we need to dig up old traits later.

I don't think having these choices will change the world but it could make life a little less painful, a little longer, a little more fun. That's worth it.


All we are able to do is select which fertilized egg to use, it's not really tampering with nature or editing it, it's just furthering the natural selection that goes in to how we choose partners and how many kids we have and many other normal choices.

It will be as good and depraved as we are, nothing more nothing less.