what do you know about biology?
well it deals with societies.
Changing Things
Modifying Things
should we do this?
can we change the way we look?
where is it written in a book?
Who chooses if it is right or wrong?
I do not know but the book will be long
should we do this?
We are messing with our food
which is not necessarily good
messing with Creatures
for no so good features
the question is should we do this?
Imagine that you can choose what your baby would look like, what he or she could be good at and even chose its gender. But do you think all this is fair? Genetically modifying children takes away those children’s autonomy, fairness, and individuality and thus should be banned.
Autonomy is the right to self govern according to Wikipedia. So how can we steal this from our children? Well, we have the technology to make children stronger, smarter, better, and even choosing the sex of the child. If a parent decides to makeup the genes of their child the parents would be taking away the chance for the child to pick what he or she would like to be. For example, if we make a child really good at a sport, then it is likely that the parents or the child its self would be pushed to pick that sport instead of choosing what ever they really want to choose. By being pushed and influenced by others the child is losing its autonomy. Another example is that sometimes parents did not become what they wanted to become and sometimes they push their kids to do what they wanted to become, instead of letting them choose what they want. It is very wrong to think or to choose for someone that is not there.
The second question is if all this really fair. One place that this would apply would be in sports. Many athletes would be eager to make them self better and is there a reason to stop them from doing it? The only reason why they should not is because it is unfair and gives an advantage to those who are modified. Another thing is that only rich people would be able to afford this which does not give the poor any chance. Just another example how the rich get richer and the poor get poorer. But its not just sport it is also your intelligence. We can also make us smarter but like the sports, it is expensive. This would mean that only the rich would be the only one that would obtain it and the poor would not. The intelligence can be passed down generations, which in the future there might be to subspecies. We do not want to divide our world more than it already is.
Individuality is the thing that makes you you, but what would have if someone would steal that away from you? When a parent decides to make up a child genetically they are steal away their individuality. They are stealing the part that make them themselves and by modifying the child the parent is making what they want the child to be. In other words they are making their own children. If individuality is lost so is their way of thinking, which means that everyone would think alike and that is not good. Everyone would be a follower and no one would challenge other people’s ideas. We would also lose humanities like art and other things that make us human. Having everyone the same is not a good idea.
So think about whether you would like your kid to be genetically modified. It will help in the short run but destroy us in the long run. No one has the right to steal someone’s autonomy, fairness, and individuality. Being perfect have great consequences.
Kinitz, Edvard. "Why genetic engineering is advantageous for humankind." GEENOR. 19 Nov. 2000, http://www.geneticengineering.org/isgood/default.htm
This article tells what will happen in the future if genetic engineering kept growing. It talks about life in the future and why we need genetic engineering to grow as a society. Also, it says that we could find cures and even genetically modify our food, so that our food can grow faster.
The source is kind of reliable because it does not talk about the author but the guy knows what he is saying. This source is useful if you want to get an idea about what is going to happen in the future. The source is a little bias against religion, which may effect some information. It just wants to inform you.
In the end this source actually did help me. It helped me with prediction I can use for my blog. This source made me think a lot about my topic because I am usually against genetic engineering but this showed me all the benefits of it.
Ballin, Camillo. "Where the Catholic Church Stands on Genetic Issues." Letter to the president. 9 Feb. 2006. http://www.catholic-church.org/kuwait/seminar_cairo.htm
Out of all my sources this one is the only letter. This letter explains the church’s beliefs and what is acceptable to them. The letter is a must read for all Catholics and is recommended to everyone.
The source really helped me with the blog that we needed to write about to different sides. The source did not give me information about my topic but it did give me an opinion about my topic. The letter comes from a bishop which is reliable. It a good source period.
This source did not only help me in my research, it helped me as a person. I indeed am a catholic and I was aware that the church was against it but know I know the reasons why. So I agree with the church that we should not genetic engineer only if it will produce cures for untreatable diseases.
"Pros and cons." Genetic Engineering: the Human's playground. 2004. http://library.thinkquest.org/04apr/00774/en/index.html
This was one of the best sources you can use when you researching this topic. The website has everything you need. It gives little descriptions of history, usage, pros and cons, and many more. This also includes pictures and diagrams showing how everything works. It is the best site to visit when you do not know anything about this topic
When I came across this website I have already learned most of the things they had there so it did not help me out as much as I wanted to. The website is trying to give you the basic information and does a pretty good job at it.
As I have mention before the source did not help me as much as I wanted to because I already knew the background. The only part that did help me was the pros and cons. They did a fine job giving example of each one. It was good information but did not change the way I think about my topic.
"Human Genetic Engineering." All about popular issues. 2002-2008. http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/human-genetic-engineering.htm
The article is separated into four parts. The first part is a quick overview on genetic engineering and how it had become go big in the last few years. After first one it talks about genetic engineering and the government. The third one is explaining the problems with genetic engineering and the last part is their own opinion on the topic.
The source helped in the part of the problem and the government and rest I already knew so it was not that helpful. This, like most of my source, is an article but the bad thing about this is that it is bias towards the church. Other than that it is a good source.
This source really helped me. Not many articles talked about the government in genetic engineering but this one did. The source is bias towards the church but the letter helped me understand it more.
"Human Genetics Research." All about popular issues. 2002-2008. http://www.allaboutpopularissues.org/human-genetics-research-faq.htm
This article is talking about the ethical issues genetic engineering will bring. The article also explains what the church does not permit. If someone asked about this article I would say it is a good article if you find genetic engineering to be ethically wrong.
The source was pretty helpful because it gave a side of my topic. Other sources give more than one side but this source does not. Due to the fact that the article was made by the church, the source is bias. Another thing about the source is that it is trying to convince you that genetic engineering is unethical.
The article helped me a little because I have already read the other source about the church and genetics. I use the parts that were not in the letter in my blogs. One thing that I did get out of this is the moral reasons why we should not genetic engineer.
"FDA to review genetically engineered animals as food." Chron. 18 Sept. 2008. 20 Sept. 2008
This article helped me the most out of all the rest. It talks about genetically engineered animals as food. This also says that the government will not label this meat and that it is safe to eat. I would say that every person should read this because the saying goes “you are what you eat.”
The article was so much different from the others because it is one of the few that talks about genetic modified foods. This article wants to inform people what the government is doing and that we should as lest try to stop them or make it public.
The article was so good that it even helped me. Now I am more aware what is happening in the meat world. I have used this in a lot of different blogs. Some of genetic engineering is good but I do not want them messing with what I eat.
