Gattaca A viewpoint on the effects and reality of genetic engineering
Gattaca begins with a passage from from Ecclesiastes 7:13: “Consider Gods handiwork; who can straighten what He hath made crooked? ... After researching both sides of the issue, I find that pursuing genetic engineering is not a well thought-out idea, for we won’t know our own limitations if we begin to modify people’s genes. The movie Gattaca gives us a perspective on this issue, showing us what will happen if we let genetic engineering go on with out regulations or restrictions. Gattaca however does not show an entirely accurate portrayal of genetic engineering, and over-exaggerates the possibilities. ... One of the taglines for the movie Gattaca is “There is no gene for the Human Spirit”(Columbia Pictures). What this means is that although genetic engineering can produce “perfect” people, a naturally born person can exceed them because a natural born’s spirit is immeasurable. The basic argument of the film is that genetic engineering, where the parents decide who their child will be, is not the right pathway to take. I agree with the movie’s stance on the issue of genetic engineering, and find that to “produce” human beings in the exact way we would like them is against the pathway that nature has set down for us. ... In Gattaca, the scientists have almost total control over how a family’s child will turn out, which is probably not possible, even in the foreseeable future (Millennium Internet Corp. ... However, it will be possible to insert certain genes into a fetus, such as genes to eliminate genetic diseases like sickle-cell, or genes to specify hair or eye color.