GATTACA; Some see this word as a title for a famous movie about a flawed society, while others see the actual meaning behind the word: it is all four bases of DNA. In this film, DNA plays a major role, as the whole plot revolves around people’s genetic makeup. Most parents genetically engineer their children so that they can be the best they can be. While some people believe that by genetically engineering their children, they are giving them the best possible life, I strongly believe that genetically engineering children is unnatural and comes with many consequences.
When parents decide to engineer their child before they are born, they do no think about how abnormal the process has become. It is like a game; if they want to make a child, they go to a genetic engineer and get to hand-pick the traits of their child. They can even change the phenotype of their children by asking for blue eyes, or a certain hair color. In GATTACA, Vincent’s parents go to an engineer for their second child, Anton. They had the option to choose from 4 embryos, two male and two female. Obviously, they chose the male so that Vincent could have a stronger brother. At first they were apprehensive about the process, as they should be, but then decided on it. Engineered children do not have the chance to shape their lives, and they are forced to live an unnatural, predecided life.
Not single person, not even a genetically engineered person, is perfect; everyone has flaws. As shown in the movie, nobody is ever happy. They also never have any fun. This is a consequence of the genetic engineering. As the kids grow up, they are told specifically what they can or cannot due because of their genes. This takes away their will to be creative and experience new things. As Jerome pointed out, he had all the things (genes/traits) necessary to work in GATTACA, except the will. The same sort of situation occurred when Vincent and Anton swam in the ocean for the last time. Vincent was able to swim further because he had the determination to do so. Anton had always believed that because he had superior genes, he would always win. He never focused on the fact that you also need the will to win. This illustrates a major flaw in all genetically engineered people.
Part of being a parent is molding your children into the people they become as adults. If you were to engineer your child, this opportunity would be taken away from you instantly. Along with the happiness parents bring to their children’s lives, these kids who are engineered would already know what they are capable of before they have the chance to achieve it. Jerome Morrow had the perfect DNA to go up into space, so that is what was expected of him his whole life. Another example is the twelve-fingered piano player. His parents might have given him the extra finger so that he would be an excellent piano player before he was even born. These are the kinds of traits that parents should teach their children, not unnaturally add to their appearance or DNA. Parents should be be parents and shape their children into the person they will become.
Since parent’s are the first ones to decide how to create their child, they choose whether or not they should be genetically modified. I believe genetically engineering children is unnatural. It can lead to an unhappy life in which children are not able to do anything they wish; their futures are based on their genes. Parents should be able to shape their kids’ lives without the extra help of engineering. Would you want your child to be genetically engineered?
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