Sure, we've all heard about the 1% products: designer handbags, designer shades, designer jewelry, and those designer shoes. But what about a designer baby? According to the Embryo Project, a designer baby is a baby genetically engineered in vitro for specially selected traits, like gender and abilities. "In vitro", in Latin, is literally "in glass", which means that for designer babies, their fertilization occurs in a test tube- once their traits have been determined. The term was coined in the early 2000's, and in 2004 got an entry in the Oxford Dictionary. I strongly believe for an infinite number of reasons, that families should not opt for a designer baby.
A legal change is needed now more than ever. The root of the problem is when parents get to choose exactly what they want in their children, no problems, nothing they don't want, just perfect little China dolls they call their family. Designer parents can choose everything - including eye color, hair color, academic ability, strength; you name it. According to actionbioscience.org, a long term problem of designing babies lies in societies in which one gender or other important characteristic is favored over the other. In countries such as China and India where boys are favored over girls, this technology could be used so that every set of parents that wants a baby boy will get one. However, that is not evolutionarily favorable. If a generation of only boys were to be made, the human race would be eradicated. Not only this, we are increasing the gap between rich and impoverished. Like those designer jeans, designer babies cost some cash. Therefore, either you're rich and perfect, or your poor with "undesirable" traits. This will significantly reduce your chances at a higher education, career, and beyond. And why? Because your parents didn't have the money to make you a Barbie Doll.
Let me back you up on the numbers: According to healthline.com, having a perfect child can cost you from $50,000 to $120,000 which is almost 3 times what the average U.S. family makes in an entire year. This goes to further prove my point on how the rich would lead a much better life than the poor. The New York University School of Medicine states that in a survey of 1,000 people who sought genetic counseling, 10% of respondents said they would want genetic testing for athletic ability, while another 10% voted for improved height, 13% backed the approach to select for superior intelligence, and another 13% wanted to choose their children's gender. Altogether, this is already almost half of the population who want to alter their kids' true potential talent into what they believe is best for them without even giving them a chance to breathe - literally.
Imagine what this would look like in 25 years, if we allowed designer babies. You have always been a hard worker, ever since you were born, all through freshman year of high school. You never gave up, turned on your homework on time, were a pleasure to have in class. Your 1st semester grade comes in...a C. You figure out that all of the scores have been scaled by percentile, so all of the designer babies set up for academic success have the Ivy's lining up, but you just lost your chance. Not to worry, basketball tryouts are after school, you can probably get a scholarship for your real talent, right? Think again. The kids who are coded to be Michael Jordan's beat you in every single layup, even though you are trying so much harder than them. You somehow make it to the workforce and decide to get a job. Unfortunately, your designer baby friends are there too. You have a 10% chance of cancer, eyeglasses, and stage fright. Your designer babies have none, so consider yourself unemployed. So you basically lost your entire life because your parents didn't have $75,000 lying around 20 years ago. See what I mean? Our gap would be unthinkable. America prides itself on equal opportunities, so there is absolutely no reason to go ahead with designer babies.
We need to make a change now before it gets worse. We try to teach kids that you have to accept yourself the way you are and you were born that way for a reason. That reason should not be because your Bill Gates parents designed you that way! The cost is sky-high so only the rich can afford, and ruins many normal people's chances at life itself. Join me now in stopping this outrage, and feel proud for who you really are, not who your parents want you to be. Don't let us determine our talent, but let our talent determine us.
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