I came across an article at Technology Review (A publication of MIT) on Choosing Babies. The subtitle of the article called into question whether genetic screening In Vitro was a good thing. I was very excited that a publication of MIT might see the moral wasteland that lays before us if/when we start genetically selecting designer babies and discarding all the embryos that do not make the grade. Alas, my exultation turned to sadness as I realized that the main ethical quandary of the author was that this process is expensive and will setup “haves” and “have nots” for those who can afford genetic screening. I mean really, who would be caught dead walking around with an unscreened baby, how gauche! It is only a matter of time until genetic screening and having only designer babies becomes a “right” and demands that genetic screening are federally funded are the order of the day. This is no slippery slope; this is jumping off the cliff. I can’t help but think that a good smiting goes a long way.
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