a Gun Nuts film: 2010

Monday, September 20, 2010

Bio project and My thoughts on GATTACA and Designer babies

My thoughts on Gattaca

The movie is an idea of a near future where people are judged by there genetic core. Like most science fiction it has allot based in fact like people getting denied for health insurance because of a pre-existing conditions and others discriminating against people for being “the wrong colour” thinking they are inferior and this movie takes thing to the next logical level with people being judged at birth if they are valid or non valid. this is one of those movies set in a Dystopian future where we are so advised but personal freedoms has been taken away like (Equilibrium, Brazil and Demolition Man) and it makes you wonder how could people take this lying down, but on the other hand lets take a look at the movie's protagonist Vincent (Ethan Hawke) who is diagnosed from birth to have a heart condition when he gets older and as he grows up it starts to show its self but Vincent has dreams of being an astronaut but because he is an invalid because of his genetic core, oh and maybe because HE HAS A HEART CONDITION! I don't mean to be hard on the guy but space travel is a very physically demanding career you think that Gattaca was very picky with its employment try any space program today and we don't really see this double standard in any other careers just this one. The movie makes us sympathise with Vincent when we see that everyone else who is “valid” or “Genitally Superior” are the most smug holier than thou people I have ever seen. Hell the main love interest Irene (Uma Thurman) in the beginning is only attracted to Vincent because he has an extraordinary genetic core. After all of this the question comes up if I would be in favour of the idea of changing the genetic core at birth and create designer babies well if it is perfected there will be a stigma force down on any child born through this process (example in Nazi Germany the Labensborn project was a plan for mothers of certain genetic traits to have multiple children with men of the same genetic traits or SS officers and after the War those children were persecuted for just being an accident of birth. They were labelled Nazi Children). All I am saying in it will help the child to live longer and/or wanting to change a genetic conduction that would hold the child back I say if you can pay for it and you think it might help the child live a long healthy life give it a chance if there is no other way but for everyone else that just wants a custom child because of ego I have no respect for you.