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| Sidney Cobb Class of 2019 |
When the world first heard of Dolly,
a sheep and the first successful clone in 1997, we reacted simultaneously with
awe and fear. From successful cloning to other genetic research, scientists are
on the verge of being able to alter human DNA to eliminate future medical
problems and conditions that may be passed on genetically. This development
will have an extensive impact on the field of medicine, and arguably be the
most influential invention of our lifetime. With new genetic engineering, we
will have the capability to protect our species from cancers, sickle cell
anemia, and other genetic diseases. However, although I recognize that numerous
positive outcomes would emerge from the development of genetic manipulation, I
fear they will also be accompanied by various long term negative consequences.
The popular science fiction movie,
Jurassic Park, outlines the potential negative consequences of humans altering
nature. Although this is a piece of fiction, just as trouble rose when
dinosaurs were recreated from the DNA of frogs; we risk disaster when recklessly
reworking our DNA. In fact,
scientists and philosophers have warned about the dangers accompanied with this
tremendous power. In Playing
God?: Human Genetic Engineering and the Rationalization of Public Bioethical
Debate, Sociologist Evans
discusses the consequences of altering genomes and its likelihood to be abused
for personal gains, such as recreating the next Michael Jordan or even Hitler.
However, I fear the principal consequence lies in what it will mean for the
average person in terms of stereotyping and a new form of discrimination, one
not based on skin color or religion, but the fabric of our DNA.
Genetically changing the DNA fabric
of humans is already occurring and could be available widely in as little as
thirty years according to geneticist David King. One concern accompanying this
is the fear, as with most technological innovations, that it will only be
available to the wealthy. If only the elite could afford such a technology it
would change many aspects of social and political lives, generating rigid
social class orders and possibly the development of a plutocracy. This
advancement risks damaging the greatest ideal of America: equality. The
separation between rich and poor would cause a rift greater than the Berlin
wall caused between East and West Germany. People would not only be separated
by the amount of money they have but also their genetic code. With genetic
engineering we risk losing the ability for those like Steve Jobs to emerge from
poverty and change the world.
I do concede that genetic
engineering would give us the opportunity to make an unprecedented leap in the
medical field. We could live in a world free from diabetes and debilitating
cancers. However, are these benefits worth the social inequities and genius we
lose? The scientific innovation of genetic engineering will no doubt have a
massive effect on the future. Whether this effect will be positive or negative
can only be determined in time.
Sidney Cobb is a freshman McConnell Scholar at the University of Louisville studying political science.