The purpose of this speech is to persuade the audience that genetic engineering should only be used to an extent. Introduction In the past three decades, scientists have discovered how to deliberately modify the characteristics of an organism by manipulating its genetic material. DNA is the blueprint that gives each individual its unique characteristics. Genetic engineering consists of changing the genetic makeup of cells and adding one or more new traits. It has a vast array of applications including surgery, agriculture, and medicine.
Genetic engineering has immensely benefited the production of crops, as well as the vaccination of numerous diseases. However, it has many disadvantages. Genetic engineering should be limited because it is not affordable or attainable for all socioeconomic levels, causing more inequalities, can increase lifespan which messes with what God has in plan for each person, may lead to genetic defects, and could eliminate diversity. Body To begin, genetic engineering is costly, so only wealthy people would be able to bear the expense of it, possibly causing segregation.
Gene editing allows one to dictate traits such as hair color, eye color, height, athletic abilities, and intelligence of children before they are even born. An even larger gap would be created in society. This is portrayed in the movie GATTACA when the main character, Vincent is not given equal opportunities to fulfill his dream of traveling to space because he is considered an “in-valid” since he was not genetically modified. Gene editing would cause the people who have chosen to refrain from it to feel inferior.
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Ultimately, injustice would prevail. In addition, although physical characteristics should not correlate with one’s success, a study by Timothy A. Judge and Daniel M. Cable showed that over a 30-year career, a six-foot-tall person would make $166,000 more than someone five-foot five-inches.
People tend to have a wrong assumption that physical attractiveness has a strong connection with competence and ability. This would cause the children of people who can afford this technology to reach a higher level of achievement than those born in an absolute natural disposition. Furthermore, genetic engineering allows the opportunity for one to live 20 to 30 years longer, which goes against the lifespan God has in plan, along with causing issues in the world. Despite the suffering diseases may cause, they are there for a reason. Gene editing prevents genetic disorders. However, this may lead to overpopulation. A greater struggle for limited resources will derive. Preventing natural death can have serious implications for employment, living space, food and energy sources. Instead of increasing the overall lifespan of people around the globe, the focus should be to improve the quality of life for people in less developed countries who are not able to live as much naturally due to the lack of water or sanitation issues. Genetic engineering may come with umpteen, negative side effects as it is a fairly untested science.
However, conducting further research for it would involve the destruction of embryos, which is similar to abortion. It is a technique that is too risky to be touched in the first place because the end does not justify the means. An embryo cannot consent to having its body altered. In UK, during 1998, thousands of embryos had been destroyed. Therefore, researchers should not be allowed to conduct research on them, as it is immoral (Heaf 1). Additionally, current techniques of genetic modification introduce genes at random places in the genome, which could disrupt the function of another gene crucial for survival. A baby could possibly turn out worse if the genes had not been modified. Scientists still do not know how the human body entirely works. Preventing one disease by altering DNA could introduce a new, worse disease. The human body is extremely complicated, and the outcomes cannot be predicted.
It is better to avoid further complications, including miscarriages. Even in plants, genetic engineering is not perfect. Over 90% of transgenic plants are discarded during the development process, most even before the plants leave the laboratory (Heaf 1). They do not produce desired results and end up having unhealthy effects. Diversity may also be drastically reduced due to genetic engineering. Each person has been created by God to fulfill their unique role in the world. People may be similar, but everyone has different characteristics. Gene editing is already leading to an imbalance of males and females in India and China where there is gender inequality. Since the majority of the people would choose optimum traits, everyone would be relatively similar. This is an issue because it eliminates one of the most prominent things which is diversity. The world would be boring if everyone were to be alike.
What we know of humanity right now would completely change if variations are not left. It would be unethical and ungrateful to not appreciate what one is naturally born with. Children must grow and explore the interests that are special to them rather than having them injected into them before even being born. Although what one is born into plays a role in what they accomplish oftentimes, one must work hard with constant determination and a strong mindset to reach their goals. Eliminating diversity would eliminate those different perspectives. Having various outlooks on life is crucial, but gene editing could make everyone’s outlook similar because it alters DNA, the blueprint of life. New ideas would be prevented from arising. The child coming into the world would be an instrument of the parents’ desires. Opponents may argue that genetic engineering could eliminate flaws in humanity’s genetic makeup. However, there is no such thing as a flaw in a human. Each person is the way they are for a reason, to serve a certain purpose.
Messing with the way someone is before they are born devalues human rights. Genes also often have more than one use. Altering it could have fatal effects. Opposers will contend that genetic engineering has brought many advantages to agriculture and, as a result, benefited humans. While this may be true, genetic engineering of crops can also have negative side effects. Recently, more people are buying organic products to refrain from harsh chemicals. Genetic engineering is necessary, at this point, for the production of crops. However, it must be limited before it has that immense, unretractable impact on the human population. Conclusion In summation, genetic engineering must be limited because it is too expensive, unnecessarily could increase lifespan, and tampers individuality. Much of the effects are unpredictable and irreversible. Expansion of genetic engineering should not continue. Death, decay, and renewal are essential parts of life. Aging and illness are parts of a human. Completing eliminating them would interfere with evolution. Life and its natural course are beautiful, and technology should not completely interfere with it to a point where humanity is lost.
Erasing Humanity Purpose Statement. (2021, Dec 11). Retrieved from https://paperap.com/erasing-humanity-purpose-statement/
