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Essay / Genetic Engineering and the Search for Perfection
Draft Research PaperIn 2050, a young boy nervously rehearses what he is going to say as he approaches the cheerleader that he was too nervous to approach last month. But as he approaches, a sportsman snatches his books from his hands. He gets teased for being the school wimp. They call him names like “undesirable,” “godson,” and “invalid.” Of course, no one cares about an imperfect child whose genetic makeup has been left to fate. With the introduction of genetic engineering into society, people like this young boy simply have no hope of competing with children like those who are genetically reinvented, "perfect." “Jock, people designed to be impeccable. With this technology, a whole new social context arises and new rules must be established as the human race wanders into uncharted territory. Advances in technology are leading the human race into an era of awesome luminosity, which is preventing us from realizing the long-term and species-changing effects it has on us, forging a world that is lazier, more superficial and, above all, less deep. “humane” society. Among the effects of creating a perfect human is an elite race giving way to a whole new level of discrimination and caste system. There are countless social implications such as a new type of "jock and cheerleader" in high school and discrimination within the gig economy with "perfect" humans, and their elite race being much more favorable. The most worrying thing is that these visions of the future are not that far away for the human race; according to the New York Times, as in its article "Genetically Modified Babies", published on February 23, 2014, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is already in the process of approving "radical biological procedures which, if successful,. .. .. middle of article......merican Journal, November 5, 2012. Web.Newman, Stuart A. "FDA Asked to Approve Creation of Genetically Modified Children." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, February 20, 2014. Web. March 02, 2014.Platt, John. "Monsanto wins Supreme Court case over GMO soybeans." Mother Nature Network. Mnn.com, May 13, 2013. Web. March 5, 2014. Rutherford, Adam. “Synthetic biology: “playing God” is vital if we are to create a better future for all. The Guardian. Guardian News and Media, July 28, 2012. Web. March 3, 2014.Rockwell, Diana P. “Genetic Engineering.” Ink for teenagers. Ink for teenagers, 2011. web. March 3, 2014. Sherwood, Rena. “Living with early menopause”. Living Healthy 360. Np, April 26, 2008. Web.Smith, Lydia. “Three-parent baby: Genetic innovation could eliminate hereditary diseases in children.” International Business Times RSS. Np, February 27, 2014. Web. March 3. 2014.