Forced Genetic Screening

[Cailst]

Every once in a while in gay marriage discussions, incest comes up as a comparison. The two are often compared as actions of two consenting adults. However, they do differ in that incest has the potential to create children. And in the instance of incest, the possibility of genetic disease is higher than in a random coupling. That's typically the stated reason why incest is still banned just about everywhere.

However, random couplings do have the potential to create children with genetic diseases and no one typically prohibits them from coupling. But why not? Genetic diseases can be terrible wreaking havoc on entire families and generally severely impairing the quality of life of the victim. Essentially, the parents are bringing a child into the world just to have them suffer.

In the past, it could be seen as an act of God/the Devil that one could suffer so much. But now, we know how they work and can predict the likelihood that a person would be born with a disease. Given our modern technology, why not force potential parents to be screened?

If screened, dangerous partners could be separated from each other preventing genetic disease from happening. Perhaps the extinction of those diseases may be possible with enough generations. In addition, the effort involved in screening may weed out less committed parents. A national database of genetic information could also be used in solving crimes as the DNA of perpetrators could be dispersed widely and used for investigations.

 

[Ush]

Because you'll have people who will refuse, and rapists, and other things like that. I would be all for this, but what happens if I love someone and we can't get married or live together because it turns out I have a gene that gives you Parkinson's, which I know I have because of two relatives. I would accept that, but not everyone would.

It won't work. Not in this day and age. Let's focus on homosexuality right now, we can get into debate about this later.

 

[jpchewy01]

What you're suggesting is borderline eugenics...

 

[Brandon Rhea]

Given our modern technology, why not force potential parents to be screened?

 

[jpchewy01]

Best argument for eugenics ever...who wouldn't want to battle KHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAN!

 

[Kaeb]

Cailst, please don't go into politics.

 

[jpchewy01]

Cailst, please don't go into politics.

If Cailst went into politics, he'd devil's advocate himself into a different party every year.

 

[Empress]

you know because Im programed to be attracted to my own gender from day one ( and more and more research is validating that in almost every mammalian, and avian species as a tool of evolutionary survival )

thats totally the same as someone wanting to jump their sibling.

Im totally not offended beyond belief anyone can start to try to compare the two cases >.<


THat said genetic testing is something I would consider a decent idea anyway regardless of the nature of the breeding pair, simply for the knowledge of any potential problem genes that could afflict a child, genetic markers for say, some degenerative disorder that passes though the gene pool but only activates in certain situation or every few generations or so...I know many people whom are basically on medication for life because their parents passed on a host of bad bad genes that even a century ago would have made their offspring non-thrivers that would have never survived to adolescence now as adults have passed on the same problems - and often times worse to their children, who are even more in need of aid.

so incest or not? Its not a bad idea to do so ahead of time so potential parents can be prepared for the possibility of what they may have to contend with....forcedd? I dont know...Part of me thinks so just to try and straighten our own species genepool - survival and all- but at the same time the idea also sickens me due to the whole big brother state sorta overlord feel to it. I wont lie, the father of my children was chosen from a collection of my male friends and I did some " minor" levels of asking and talking about family health and such before I settled.... and If there was finally clearance for human testing on the " female to female fertilization) I'd have a look into the potential issues that could come from my wife's ( or anothers) genetics too, for my own knowledge...but the idea of forcing it sits uneasy with me

 

[Kiro]

Forced anything, especially regarding reproduction and sexuality, is nearly always a bad idea.

 

[The Derp of Hooves]

What Kiro said... however, if it's not a forced thing and a couple is concerned that they might have a kid with some disease then they should be able to chose weather or not they want to be screened... it shouldn't be a forced thing...

 

[BLADE]

 

[Ush]

I thought when I saw Pros had posted that we would get some sense in here. But then I saw the picture.

 

[jpchewy01]

I thought when I saw Pros had posted that we would get some sense in here. But then I saw the picture.

Expecting sense from Prospero? What an absurd notion!

 

[Brandon Rhea]

I thought when I saw Pros had posted that we would get some sense in here. But then I saw the picture.

Each picture that's been used has been a way of saying "I disagree." Khan was :CStern, for example.

 

[BLADE]

Bac: In the Game of Chromosomes, you win... or you die.

Ush: Cailst isn't a troll, but I see no need to feed his penchant for hearing an idea or reading some sort of popular non-fiction book on the NY Times bestseller list, being struck with a how big this idea is, assuming that no one has thought about said big idea before (and why it is a terrible and totalitarian idea) and then arguing in a very contrarian and generally annoying manner on the forums about it. He's our Thomas Friedman, but with less cab drivers: a human centrifuge for separating and throwing about trite platitudes against the wall and calling it both Jackson Pollack and wisdom.

To that end, I'll encourage everyone to post gifs. I went with the lovely Lena Headey, who at least makes incest look good, and whose arched eyebrows get across very eloquently what a bunch of nonsense I think the OP is.

 

[Ush]

I was expecting a wall of text that would explain everything, though.

EDIT: Oh, wait, there it is!

 

[jpchewy01]

The Targaryens have inbred for generations.

 

[Ush]

And if they end up with that, it can't be bad, right?

 

[jpchewy01]

And if they end up with that, it can't be bad, right?

Exactly!

 

[Venom]

To that end, I'll encourage everyone to post gifs. I went with the lovely Lena Headey, who at least makes incest look good, and whose arched eyebrows get across very eloquently what a bunch of nonsense I think the OP is.

Wants everyone to post gifs.
Did not post a gif.