Reprecussions

The ramifications of genetic selection as suggested in Leonard Pitts’ “A Risk Free Life” are exponentially detrimental to our society as a whole. Genetic selection would be like opening a virtual “Pandora’s Box” negating the need for hope, faith, and the drive to overcome any obstacle we as humans are faced with.
We see it every day, those colored ribbons on the bumpers of cars and in every store we patronize. They not only symbolize diseases, but hope. Hope for a cure and the optimism that as each day passes the pain of loss will fade. It brings about an unspoken bond, a kinship among strangers in similar circumstances. Where would our society be without hope? Genetic selection would make hope obsolete. As Pitts identified, “We seek to remove from the equation that gremlin, chance.” However, in doing so we erase our capability to grow and shape who we are meant to be. There would be no need for ribbons or marathons to raise awareness or money. Would we then lose our ability to build relationships with outsiders over shared situations? The tragedy of disease will no longer be the common ground between the wealthy and poor. Status will dictate friendships, not emotional connections. While pain, suffering, and death are things we all wish to avoid, they are inevitable. They are what make us as a society stronger, by intertwining our lives to form a web of compassion for humanity. Genetic selection would nullify the need for hope and therefore eliminate our empathy for one another.
With a church on just about every corner it is clear that faith is crucial in our society. Faith keeps our moral compasses pointing in the right direction and gives us something to believe in when all hope has vanished. It keeps us linked to one another in a monumental way, providing us a more socially responsible attitude. We as humans have faith that whatever “higher power” or “God” we believe in is watching out for us. There is a “plan” in everything we endure; nothing is