When I was young I used to believe in right and wrong. There was good and there was bad. There were heroes and there were villains. When I studied to become a Pharmacist I learned the rules. I learned what drugs interacted with what other drugs . I liked learning about "Don't mix this drug with that drug".
Then I became a Pharmacist
Life is messy. Then I learned about judgement calls. I learned about picking the lesser of two evils. I learned that sometimes there isn't a right answer and a wrong answer. There isn't a good choice and a bad choice. Life is often times many shades of gray or figuring out how far you will go before you say NO MORE
But how about an example
Going from my house into town the official speed limit is 80km/h. The law says that I cannot go faster than that and I should follow the law, right? But what if I know that the police don't bother enforcing 80km/h and that they will only enforce the law at 10kph over the speed limit. I can do 90km/h, right? But what if the person in front of me is going 100km/h? The police usually go after the first person speeding. If asked I can just say I wasn't paying attention to my speedometer, I was just keeping up with the person in front of me. How long until you say....hmm.....maybe that is fast enough?
As science progresses it is becoming increasingly easy to play around with the genetic makeup of people, plants and animals. Bring our your CRISPr kit and voila you can make superhumans. Change our kids eyes to blue? Maybe give them wings....literally....so they can fly! However, just because we could do it does it mean we should do it? I mean genes are what make people, well, people. If you start adding avian DNA into someone to give them wings. Or plant DNA to give them chlorophyll are they still human? Should people be fooling around with the very thing that makes us, us.
But if we can make people bigger, stronger, better endurance and more attractive, why not? Well. Two words. Cavendish Bananas. Now of course you are likely thinking why am I mixing humans and bananas that's even weirder than comparing apples to oranges. Of course you would be right. However, the bigger point is this: Cavendish Bananas were bred to be superior to other bananas out there. They are all genetic clones and they are excellent bananas for eating. For a hundred years they have been the "go to" banana as the definition of perfect. It is so much so that in some countries where they actually do have other types of bananas, tourists will do a blank stare if you ask which type they want because...well, they think there is only one. But what's the problem? A disease is taking out the Cavendish Bananas to the point where the entire food crop is at risk. A world without bananas!
Okay. A world without bananas would suck but there are sub variants out there that will survive. However, what if it were people? What if we chose what we determined to be the "best" but it limited genetic diversity to the point where people became far more prone to a currently unknown disease? We could put humanity at risk because of some unknown future disorder.
Perhaps bananas are too far a stretch. How about dogs? Ever seen a Pekinese dog? Ever see a Saint Bernard. Or perhaps a Samoyed? They are all dogs but one is tiny, one is huge, and one is a happy funloving ball of fluff. Here is another thing: Purebred dogs all have different tendencies for diseases that are less common in the average mutt. What if that happens to people? Some people bred for size and strength. Others bred to be small and work in tiny offices. Others bred to be happy and eager to please. Hmm....something seems off there too.
There is a flip side to that coin. Some people are born with a huge disadvantage because of their genome. Sure its easy to say we shouldn't change kids genes but what if we could prevent sickle cell anemia?
Sickle cell anemia can be debilitating. While I hate to generalize I can say with a pretty high degree of certainty that anyone who DOES have it would be pretty happy to be rid of it. No more blood transfusions. No more crippling bouts of pain. Having a regular lifespan instead of a shortened one. No more having to take daily medication just to try and lead a normal life.
How about hemophilia? Does anyone really want to worry about every little cut and bruise? It's a genetic disorder which won't outright kill the child but it certainly does make every daily activity that much riskier. For those who don't know those with the disease don't have blood that clots. Every cut, every bruise, every bump could be life threatening. Again, I would hate to generalize but I bet many people with the affliction would be happier without it.
But lets make it just a little more ambiguous. How about a child with down syndrome? Those children will never be as mentally acute as someone without the genetic disorder. However, with love and training they can lead simple and fulfilling lives. By making them "normal" their lives get more stress, more complicated and yes, more normal..but is that a good thing?
And one step further still. How about those born with XXY or XYY chromosomes? They appear and function as male. Many go on to lead quite normal lives. However slight learning issues can occur and slight developmental issues. However, many fertility issues. Now if we were to change their genetic disorder it might make their lives better but then again who is to say that their lives wouldn't be find without a fix?
I could go on and on. But in the end I'll just say that there are many Shades of Gray and it can be hard to decide where to draw the line between "OK" and "NOT OK". I'm sure as genetic engineering gets more advanced or if people need to adapt to other plants or a current planet that becomes less hospitable there will be laws enacted and ethics tested.
For now though? I'd like to say that I like people being people as nature intended. I'm sure I would bend to helping the genomes of those who had a medical necessary therapy but then again, tinkering with nature could come with hidden costs and it can be quite the slippery slope. If it was my baby? It would be a hard call. Sickle cell? Eradicate it. Hemophilia? Eradicate it? Down Syndrome? Tougher because I hate the idea of changing who someone will be but I also don't know if I would have the energy and frankly the lifespan to properly care for someone with extra needs. I'd probably go with "fixing" them. But I have two sons. They are totally different and both perfect in their own way. I wouldn't want to tinker with the gift I was given in most circumstances. Just raise them to be their best because they could be absolutely perfect in their imperfection.
I'm glad I don't have to make those decisions. Of course maybe you have other ideas? I'd love to hear them as I love comments. Don't feel like writing? Well, thanks for making it to the end of my rant.
