" Designer Babies" by Patricia Smith- Is Genetically Designing Babies Ethical?

The May 12th edition of Upfront magazine contains an article titled “Designer Babies,” by Patricia Smith. This article outlines the efforts scientists are making to engineer genetically altered babies, and the contemporary ideals and controversy surrounding this topic.  After reading and analyzing this passage, I concluded that genetically designing babies is not a smart idea for many reasons.  This belief, I realized reflects largely on my morals and ethics.

Designing a baby is potentially dangerous to the baby’s health. While many scientists find it exciting to design a child resistant to certain diseases and birth defects, Jeremy Gruber, President of the Council for Responsible Genetics, believes differently: “We need to be extra cautious about any procedure that changes an embryo’s genes...such procedures could cause new and unforeseen genetic abnormalities or accidentally eliminate positive traits.” So by trying to create a perfect baby, you take the risk of permanently damaging the baby’s ability to maintain physical homeostasis. The passage also describes what may happen if we legalize designer babies:  Any mutations, genetic defects, or diseases found in the designed babies can and will be passed down to future generations, creating a dangerous gene pool to reproduce from. You see, by creating one genetically-engineered baby, you are not only affecting one human life, you are possibly threatening the lives of future populations.

To me, “ designing a baby” defeats the purpose of creating an individual.  Many of the pleasures of parenting have to do with watching a child grow, explore the world around them, and eventually develop an identity.  By pre-deciding the genes for a baby, one eliminates some of the qualities that could possibly become essential in a child’s sense of self.  For example, the article states that parents can alter a child’s “...intelligence, height, athletic abilities, musical abilities, and social abilities.” Imagine wondering if the true you is really tall and athletic, or if that is only the genome inserted into you. I would constantly be questioning, second-guessing myself:  was I really smart enough to get an 100 on that test, or is that only due to my scientifically-engineered gene sequence? Not only is choosing a baby’s traits unfair, it also isolates the child from the world around them.  If I were a designer baby I would feel like a project, an inferior being from my normally-produced peers.  While these pre-chosen favorable traits may give a kid a advantage over other children, it may also cause peers to exclude the “laboratory kid” from their play.  Overall, being genetically different has unfavorable effects not only directly on the child, but on how the child perceives the world, and how the world perceives the child.

In conclusion, designing babies in laboratories is not natural, nor does it have many favorable effects on the human race.  At least for now, developing babies with pre-decided genomes is a chancey and risky process that could potentially injure the baby itself, as well as the world around the baby.  Until Designer babies can be guaranteed safe and favorable (which I doubt will ever happen,) I believe the human race should continue to create unique individuals instead of “human” laboratory projects. In summation, in my moral code, designing babies is unethical.

What Caused Romeo and Juliet's Deaths?

The play Romeo and Juliet, by William Shakespeare, is possibly the most infamous love story of all time. This play describes the age-long feud between families Montague and Capulet, and the doomed romance that buds between Romeo and Juliet, teenagers each in love with their family’s mortal enemy. Shakespeare demonstrates just how cursed this romance is from the very beginning of the play, foreshadowing: “these violent delights have violent ends.” The play concludes with an eerie scene in the Capulet tomb, in which Romeo and Juliet both kill themselves, convinced of the hopelessness of their forbidden romance. While Romeo and Juliet’s deaths were literally caused by a series of accidents, the overarching cause of their deaths was the family feud. The vendetta forced the romance to be kept secret, which led to Juliet’s consumption of a potion and Romeo’s death. The vendetta also led to Romeo’s exile from Mantua, a key component in Juliet’s eventual death. All in all, the family feud made Romeo and Juliet’s romance and eventual marriage very dangerous, and put a lot of pressure on the teens.  If there had been no feud, Romeo and Juliet would have been able to pursue their love without fear of being ostracized.

In Romeo and Juliet, the hostility between the Montague and Capulet families plays a major role in the forbidden romance. The feud is so prominent that the two lovers are forced to be extremely secretive and careful about their love. For example, Romeo has to ask Friar Lawrence to marry him and Juliet secretly.  Quote “…my heart’s dear love is set/ on the fair daughter of rich Capulet./ As mine on hers, so hers is set on mine/...I’ll tell thee as we pass, but this I pray/ that thou consent to marry us today.” Since their marriage is so secretive, Juliet feels torn when her father, unknowing of Juliet’s previous marriage, arranges for her to marry another man by the name of Paris. Grieving for her situation, Juliet says: “ How shall this be prevented? My husband is on earth, my faith in heaven/ How shall that faith return again to earth/ unless my husband send it me from heaven.” Readers see here that the hushed manner of the relationship between the two protagonists made an extremely awkward and difficult situation for Juliet.

Erratically looking for a way to solve her problem, Juliet turns to Friar Lawrence, wanting a poison, a potion- anything- to let her escape from her marriage to Paris; “ I’ll to the Friar to know his remedy/ if all else fail, myself have the power to die.” Here readers note Shakespeare’s foreshadowing of the upcoming deaths of both lovers. After begging the Friar for her substance, Juliet receives a concoction that supposedly will make her merely appear dead, so that she will not have to marry Paris. Romeo, upon discovering “dead Juliet,” is beside himself, drinking a fatal poison. Naturally, upon waking up and finding Romeo dead, Juliet kills herself. Overall, secrecy was necessary to keep the romance alive and avoid the family feud, but hiding the romance led to Juliet’s engagement to Paris, her consumption of the potion, and the couple’s eventual deaths.

The feud between the Capulet and Montague families causes the entire town of Mantua to take sides.  Often, brutal quarrels are fought.  One of these fights involves Romeo, Mercutio (Romeo’s friend of Montague descent), and Tybalt (Juliet’s cousin).  At the beginning of this fight, Romeo tries to keep the peace between Mercutio and Tybalt.  Romeo acts kindly to Tybalt, for after marrying Juliet, Tybalt is his family. Romeo asserts “I do protest I never injured thee/ But love thee better then thou can devise/till thou shalt know the reason of my love.”  But after Tybalt stabs and murders Mercutio, Romeo seeks revenge on Tybalt-  declaring “Fire eyed fury be my conduct now.” Romeo and Tybalt duel, Romeo eventually killing Tybalt.  As Romeo’s punishment, he is exiled from Mantua. Romeo’s exile plays a key role in both his and Juliet’s death.  Because of his removal from Mantua, he is unaware that it is merely a potion that has put Juliet under a spell- he believes her to be truly dead, saying “ O my love, my wife/ Death that hath sucked the honey of thy breath, hath had no power yet upon thy beauty.” Being that Romeo perceives Juliet to be dead, and he cannot live without Juliet, Romeo drinks the potion and dies. In general, the vendetta between the Montagues and the Capulets led to a series of events causing Romeo’s death: The family feud was emphasized in the fight between Tybalt and Mercutio.  This led to the fight between Romeo and Tybalt. Tybalt’s death led to Romeo’s banishment, and Romeo’s misunderstanding of Juliet’s death led to the death of his own. Clearly, the pronounced conflict between the two clans makes Romeo and Juliet’s romance nearly impossible, part of the reason why the two lovers took their own lives. 

Some may say that Romeo and Juliet’s deaths were not the fault of the feud, but rather the fault of fate itself.  Fate is defined as: “ the development of events (or mistakes) beyond a person’s control.” There were many missteps which led to Romeo and Juliet’s deaths.  One mistake is exemplified in Act 5 scene 2. Friar Lawrence writes a letter telling Romeo that Juliet is merely under a potion and is not really dead.  However, this letter never reaches Romeo.  Friar John cannot get through to Romeo, because Romeo’s town is quarantined with a serious infection. Friar Lawrence asks “Who bare my letter… to Romeo?” and Friar John answers “ I could not send it/ Nor get a messenger to bring it thee/ so fearful were they of infection.” While sickness is definitely not in the realm of a person’s control, this was a mistake that would not have been a problem if the family feud had not existed. Although, yes, there were many accidents caused by fate that led to the death, the overarching cause of all these accidents was the quarrel between the two families. 

The Montague and Capulet families had so much hate for eachother, (as shown when Tybalt stated “ Talk of peace? I hate the word, just as I hate hell, and all Montagues.” as well as when Montague exclaims “Thou villain Capulet!”) Any friendliness, let alone romance between the two would be considered dangerous.  If it hadn’t been for the family feud, Juliet wouldn’t have to keep her marriage with Romeo a secret, and she would have never had to drink the potion to avoid marrying Paris.  Also, the feud caused the fight between Romeo and Tybalt, leading to Romeo’s exile.  Without the feud, Juliet would have never drunk the potion, Romeo would have never been exiled, and the two lovers would never have died.

In summation, the play, Romeo and Juliet shows readers that, while true love can be extraordinary, it can also painful and devastating. These qualities are demonstrated as the two admirers struggle to love amidst such a strong conflict between their families. The feud between Juliet’s family, the Capulets, and Romeo’s family, the Montagues is extremely harsh, finally causing Romeo and Juliet to commit suicide. This complicated play teaches readers that there is no timing or place for love.  Love arrives naturally, and when it does, the effects can be disastrous.  As stated previously, “Violent delights have violent ends.”

Upfront Magazine: Should a Hated Word be Banned?

The article; "Should a Hated Word be Banned?" by Jodi Rudoren centers around the values of free speech, and ponders the results of limiting free speech.  This particular article discusses a recent proposal in Israel to make the word Nazi "illegal."  The bill, already given preliminary approval by the Israeli parliament, states that "Nazi-or any other slur associated with the Holocaust...would result in  a fine of as much as 29,00 and up to six months in jail."  As one may guess, this bill has created quite a controversy in Israel- a controversy stirring up both memories of the Holocaust, as well as questions regarding how far Israeli government is willing to go to protect the right of free speech.

The article displays a quote from Rabbi Dov Lipman, one of the many who supports the bill. "Freedom of Speech is Important, but in my opinion, every country has to establish certain value-based limits." I somewhat agree with this statement.  I believe that each country should decide their own limits for free speech.  For example, I forcefully oppose men in countries like India and Indonesia who are able to speak and write with anti-feminism agendas.  However, I believe that in cases like the one described in the article, it is important not to ban these holocaust-related words.  By banning these words, we are not keeping the memory of the Holocaust alive.

Initially, this may sound awful.   During the Holocaust and World War 1, "6 million Jews had been killed, along with many Gypsies, Homosexuals, and many others the Nazis considered undesirable."  One sixth of these "undesirables" were children.  Why would we want to keep the memory of the Nazis alive?  I'm afraid that as soon as we forget about the Holocaust, or any other huge time period of suffering (ie. Hiroshima, World War 1, The Civil War), we forget about the cause.  The Holocaust began with the Nazis announcing a boycott on Jewish stores and businesses, and ended with burning human flesh in Concentration camps.  This shows us how one thing can lead to another, and blow completely out of proportion.

In summation, I do not believe Israel should pass a bill restricting the Word "Nazi," and other Holocaust related slurs.  Other efforts may be made to respect the memory of the Holocaust, rather then tarnish in with ill-mannered terms.

Sonnet

glimmers of light glance off the glassy lake
vivid brights dance across the morning skies
entire populations come to wake
desolate landscapes no more, in sunrise

radiance abounds, gleaming in luster
the world is swathed in a brilliant blaze
glowing fields of wheat, growing in clusters
the sunlight conquers all, a shining haze

once again colors paint the evening skies
the sun descends from its majestic throne
sinks below the hills to meet its demise
left; a remainder of light which once shone

night swallows all skies, no light left to see
'till morning returns, the sun is now free

Martin Espada

The poems “Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877,” “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson,” and “ New Bathroom Policy at English High School” by Latino poet Martin Espada depict ignorance towards Mexicans and the misguided actions behind it. Using irony and raw humor, Espada is able to stir up in the reader the same anger he feels himself. This anger, this passion, threads all three poems together and causes the reader to connect emotionally to the racial hatred expressed.

In “Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877,” the speaker emphasizes ignorance by showing readers how blinded people can be by racial differences. Espada gives us a glimpse of the bigotry and violence directed towards Mexicans because of their foreign culture. In this poem describing a photograph, two Latino corpses hang while nearby, vigilantes cheer about their supposed “victory,” over the Mexicans.  Espada starts the first three stanzas of the poem with the words “more than” and starts the last stanza with “remain the faces of the lynching party.”  These words explain how the vigilantes were ignorant enough to commit a crime so horrible and still be proud of their actions. While gazing at the weathered photograph, Espada observes “A high-collar boy smirking, some peering/ from the shade of bowler hats, but all/ crowding into the photograph.” These men and women seem not to mourn the unfair death of the Mexicanos, but rather take credit for it.  More than the death of the Mexicans, the real thing to be mourned is the disgusting birthday-like celebration being expressed in the picture.

In “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson,” the speaker  (presumably Mexican) depicts ignorance in another way.  This poem illustrates the different ways in which Mexicans and white Americans are treated “Whenever my name/ is mispronounced/ I want to buy a toy pistol,/ put on dark eyeglasses,/push my beret to an angle, / comb my beard to a point.” Obviously, mispronouncing the speaker’s name is a great level of disrespect towards him, because it is a part of his Mexican culture.  Americanizing his name seems to be taking away its cultural significance.  It goes on to state “ (I want to) hijack a busload/ of Republican tourists/ from Wisconsin/ force them to chant/ Anti-American slogans in Spanish.” As revenge for rejecting his culture(mispronouncing his name), the speaker seems to be giving Americans “a taste of their own medicine,” by turning them against their own culture. “ (I will) wait/ for the bilingual SWAT team/to helicopter overhead, /begging me to be reasonable.”  This is when readers start to see ignorance come into play.  This “bilingual SWAT team” is too ignorant, too unaware, to recognize the irony in their own actions.  

The poem “New Bathroom Policy at English High School,” highlights ignorance of the powers that be with an entertaining anecdote. “The boys chatter Spanish/ in the bathroom/ while the principal listens from his stall/  the only word he recognizes/ is his own name/ this constipates him.”  Firstly, being that he cannot understand any Spanish, the principal has obviously never made an effort to learn the language. Already, readers have an understanding of who this “principal” character is. Secondly, the fact that merely hearing his name spoken by his students makes him so disgruntled is rather pitiful. The speaker orates “So he decides to ban Spanish from the bathrooms/ Now he can relax.” How threatened the principal feels by foreign cultures and languages is absurd. The line “Now he can relax” makes me think of the concern and anxiety he felt, thinking that the children were talking about him.  Ignorance caused him to assume the worst in the children, and punish them just because he had the power to do so.

The poems “Two Mexicanos Lynched in Santa Cruz, California, May 3, 1877,” “Revolutionary Spanish Lesson,” and “ New Bathroom Policy at English High School” all illustrate ignorance of the more fortunate poorly affecting another, less fortunate group (in this case Mexicans.)  Overall, exploring and analyzing these emotional poems made one better understand bigotry and racial hatred. While these poems may seem mocking and irate, they help inspire the reader to take a stand against such themes in their daily life.

Fame

Today I read the article "Justin Bieber arrested on Drunken Driving, Resisting Arrest Charges," by reporter Alan Clarke of CNN news.  This article outlines the arrest of pop superstar Justin Drew Bieber, and discusses his fall from a sweet, harmless pre-teen to a dark and foul 19-year old.  Bieber was caught driving under the influence, and when confronted, used many choice words to display his anger at the officer. While reading this article may, at the surface, seem cursory and superficial, it really made me think about the effects of fame on humans, and in this case, how it has consumed one Justin Bieber's life.

When you look up fame in the dictionary, it says "the condition of being known or talked about by many people on account of notable achievements." This definition seems to cast a falsely positive light on fame, stating that it is "caused by notable achievements."Justin Bieber got drunk and then drove under the influence.  I, in no way consider this a notable achievement, but in a way, he's as famous as ever. This is the first thought that led to me to my opinion on fame.

 I believe that fame is like a really stinky cheese- delicious at the beginning and in small bits, but disgusting and putrid in large amounts.  Researching other teen idols like Miley Cyrus and Maculay Culkin, it is easy to distinguish a pattern of their actions. So much attention is put upon them at such young ages, so many people scrutinizing their every move.  All the pressure put upon them-where does it go? It hides out for a while, starts mounting, mounting, mounting, and then explodes, causing the teen idol to rebel. The article states "Bieber made some statements that he had consumed some alcohol, and that he had been smoking marijuana and consumed some prescription medication." This is the result of pressure being put upon a insecure teenager's shoulders.  Discussing Bieber's release from the prison, the article states "He strutted out of the jail dressed in black...Bieber briefly sat on top of a black Cadillac Escalade, where he waved to screaming fans, before he was chauffeured away." With growing social media networks, pop stars are constantly in the spotlight.  Fame influences their every decision, their every move, causing them to think not about whats good for themselves, but whats good for their fame.  Fame always comes first.

 In our world today, fame has become somewhat of an addiction. In schools, kids are constantly climbing the social ladder. Everyone wants to be the it-girl, the it-guy, we forget about other values like true friendship and loyalty.  Adults want to be famous and powerful too.  People watch reality TV shows, read magazines, newspapers, anything to get a glimpse of what life is like to be "famous." Fame is a dangerous, deceiving cycle.  An obsessive one, too.  So lets stop feeding the flames of this treacherous cycle, and put our own lives in front of our social climbing agenda. Rather than fame, aim for success.

"If you come to fame not understanding who you are, it will define who you are."

-Oprah Winfrey

Birds Flying High? Upfront Magazine

Today I read the article "Birds Flying High?" in the most recent issue of Upfront magazine. This article talks about the latest sports scandal revolving around the "sport" of competitive pigeon racing.  In this sport, pigeons are released hundreds of miles from their homes and electronically tracked to observe how fast they are able to make it home.  This sport has caused much controversy in the last month, as it involves gambling and even some doping.  Overall, I find the entire thing disgusting, and I am amazed that almost nothing has been done to stop it.  For one, it is a clear form of animal abuse, and two, by involving animals in our idea of "recreation," we are bringing out the worst in ourselves.

Pigeon racing, in my shared opinion, is a clear and basic example of animal abuse. In fact, it is the epitome of animal abuse.  The article states "...more than 60% of the birds get lost or die because of bad weather, electrical lines, predators, or exhaustion; and those deemed too slow are often killed." This fact merely showcases the extent to which humans are morally able to go, how, somewhat disgustingly, we are able to push other living creatures' health and lives aside just for a good show.  A good laugh. Apparent fun. Another detail in the article read "One pigeon owner told PETA's investigators that the first thing pigeon racers need to know when starting out in the sport is 'how to kill pigeons.' "


On top of this, Pigeon racing brings out the worst in humans. The article indicates, " In October, the world of pigeon racing was rocked when six birds in Belgium tested postive for banned-performing enhancing drugs ( five for a human painkiller, one for cocaine)." Human baseball players, track runners, swimmers, and bicyclers may inject steroids and other performance- enhancing drugs into their bloodstreams, and this is because they have made the decision to do so. It is an entirely different story when bird holders dope helpless animals just to win. "Pigeon racing has recently become a gambling jackpot, with 15 million in gambling at stake each year in the US." People are in no way gambling with money, they are gambling with the lives of hundreds of pigeons, hundreds of living animals.

But recently, there has been attempts to change it. PETA has recently issued a investigation into the nooks and crannies of this horrific sport, and I guarantee there is much to be exposed.  Hopefully, with these shocking facts out in the open, the public will begin to take action and possibly even impeach it from our society.