Genetic Engineering Argumentative Essay

Genetic Engineering is the modification of genes that ultimately improves the organism being engineered. Most of the genetic engineering done today is used on crops and animals, but some is also used in humans as well. Creating things like herbicide resistant crops and faster-growing animals have turned out to be very efficient in many ways, but no matter how great they are, they were always questioned and seen as unnatural (Erickson, 2012). Today, genetic screening is done on human fetuses to detect certain disease and to select a child’s gender. However, scientists are now studying and attempting to figure out how to engineer a child’s eye color, hair color, body size, intelligence, as well as many other features. All human screening is very …show more content…
Because of this, In Vitro Fertilization was created. This phenomenon was normally used for those who were unable to conceive their own child, but it is now being used by people who wish to have multiple children, who are afraid of passing on certain genetics or diseases, or who wish to choose the gender of their baby. Although genetic engineering is not yet a realistic choice for humans, there is worry that if it becomes available, parents will greatly misuse it (Erikson, 2012). Instead of using this technique to eliminate dangerous diseases, it may instead be used to make a designer baby. This would include choosing the babies eye color, hair color, size, race, intelligence, and multiple other characteristics. If genetic engineering becomes a reality it could raise many issues. This concern was even shared by The Center for Genetics and Society’s executive director, Richard Hayes, by stating, “We support the use of that (genetic engineering) to allow couples at risk to have healthy children. But for non medical, cosmetic purposes, we believe this would undermine humanity and create a techno-eugenic rat race” (Steere,