T80SMS1%NIU@PUCC.PRINCETON.EDU (09/26/90)
>>Should congress provide extra incentives to those parents whose genetic >>profiles indicate their children will be healthy? The problem with your proposal, as stated, is that if an individual has a single locus with a "bad" allele then they should not reproduce at all. What about someone like Stephen Hawking? Rather the focus should be, how can we prevent the tansmission of the single "bad" allele while permitting the person to otherwise reproduce normally? Unfortunately, at present there is only one method, genetic screening of fetuses and abortion. I need not mention the polical firestorm that would result if that were proposed. Even many who support the right to abortion would object. The solution is to be able to (1) genetically "cure" the embryo with gene replacement (far down the road at this point) or (2) genetic screening of eggs and sperm (more likely in the short term and much more acceptable). Thus, I think you need to rephrase the question. Sam Scheiner Dept. of Biological Sciences Northern Illinois University t80sms1@niu.bitnet