“We’d save tons of shoes”

Maybe you remember one of my first post “Want a baby? – Design your own!” where I  dicussed the different possibilities of “designing” your own baby.

Just recently, I came across another blog post with the headline:

“If you could have a baby genetically engineered with all the properties you choose.. first would you, second why or why not and if you would what traits would you choose?”

source: http://raymondpronk.files.wordpress.com

One of the replies said the following:

“I am a bit of a naturalist. The idea of genetically engineering food is unacceptable to me, so needless to say the idea of genetically engineering my child would be pretty horrific.

But…. It does seem possible that the technology will be available over the next couple of generations and I’ve wondered:  If you are the one couple that chooses to have an ’all natural baby’ — will they have a freakish nose in a sea of perfectly shaped noses? Or be the only one that will ever have body fat?  Or the only one that continues to grow armpit hair in a society that no longer even has a need to produce razors??   Or the only one who ever has to take a day off from work because they get a headache or contract a cold…..
And so what if they are the “only one that…” …maybe that will make them even more unique and they will do better in the world?
Either way, it is a lot of responsibility for a human to decide the fate of another human in this way.  It seems much better left to nature in all regards.”
(by melissa_orange on Jun 19 2008)