Genetic Manipulation, ethical?

Is it ethical to change and rearrange the natural DNA makeup of the human species to suit our belief of how a human is suppose to be?

Imagine a world where every person was genetically altered, even before birth, by what their parents wished them to be? A mother who always wanted a daughter who is a pianist, genetically alters their child to have this talent, and therefore brings up the child with the dream of her as a world famous pianist. Could you consider this unfair? The parent has taken away the child's choice of her future rather than let her develop her other skills to see how else this child could exceed. The child is more like a pet than a real person. What if the child, exposed to the possibility of a different career does not wish to become a pianist? Will the parent in her obsession and years of investment readily release the idea of a pianist daughter? Would the parent instead choose to push the child down a road of unhappiness instead of allowing her a dream?

Another dilemma to having a genetically altered child towards the music industry is that the parent is not the only person who dreams of a musically talented child. If everybody want a musical genius, than genius no longer exists! Music as a rare talent becomes mundane and common. For the price of something special, we would have lost the idea of special.

Another scenario is the chinese belief that it is lucky to have a son as the first child. Add in the current growing population and its strictures of one child per family, then we have a crisis of families with one child, genetically set to be a male son. The chinese population would slowly fade with the rarity of a family WANTING a female offspring.

Evolution seems to have evolved into an artifical stage, or in some beliefs, an actual halting of the evolutionary process. Evolution is the natural change of an organism to suit its habitat. But there is nothing natural about the habitat of genetic maniupulation.

Another scenario is that the government takes control of genetic manipulation, therefore have full control to the development of the next generation. Children could either become guinea pigs, or if the government wishes to sabotage the particular family, the child becomes a target/weapon.

The idea of Genetic Manipulation is a nice fantastical idea, however has anybody thought of the consequences?

Test tube babies are slowly becoming a reality, scientists are so close to generating babies without the need of a mother...another host of problems there. If you add this with genetic manipulation, then what stops someone; a doctor from creating a harem of women for himself, women solely dedicated to him, without the ties of family. A president creating an entire army who does not think but only knows how to follow orders.

~Will continue this argument when brain feels less stressed with the idea of genetic maniuplation~

Happiness

Happiness can be found not in our past or in our future, but in our present consciousness without consideration of the past or the future.

The Sound of Music

Since I was a child my favourite of all favourite of movies has and will always be 'The sound of music'. Everytime I visited my Uncle John's house I would always beg to watch that one movie, and I visited his place all the time, at least twice a week! It is a movie that has always touched my heart in more ways then one. I think I even fell in love with Captain Von Trapp! ^_^

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The movie is about a widower whose heart has turned cold after the death of his wife, since then he has raised his seven children (my salutations to the mother for bearing seven kids...imagine the size your hips would grow to!!! lol) like he would run a ship in the navy. Even going so far as to mandate uniforms and substituting his children's names with whistle signals. It was as though he didn't want anybody to touch his heart, not even his children who ranged from 4 to 16 years old. Along come Maria, a woman with a heart to large to contain and so filled with song that she can't help but let it escape. She hopes to share her love through god by initiating herself into nun-hood. However, the abess doesn't feel she's ready, being too innocent and wild, thus she is sent to the von trapp family in hopes to settle her wild spirit with some responsibility and experience.

Unbeknownst to Maria, who enters this responsibility with trepidation and positivity, she meets a brood of children whose hearts are as wild as hers, and who craves love in every way. Maria then sets out to free the childrens' hearts from the cage their father has put them into, as well as his own. With hearts free, the von trapps has once again found their family and a new mother.
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A story about love and obstacles, what young girls heart would not be captured by such an inspiring story. Even the very courtship between the Captain and Maria gives one hope. Remember the scene where Maria and the Captain were dancing the Australian Folk Dance? The trust they must have in each other to dance like that, the catches, and expecatation; her hand WILL be there. The look in their eyes...it swept me away the intensity they shared between them. Then the serenade!! The captain was singing for his family, and through his song he looked at each of his children, then he even looked at Maria including her in the family! Did you notice to that he never once looked at Uncle Max or the Baroness? The sublety of the movie, and the story is amazing!

The plot wasn't the only thing that captured my attention, another aspect was the landscape imagery! Salzburg Austria has beauty uncompared! It makes me want to hop on a plane and fly to these beautiful hills. Have you ever had that experience where you would be in th middle of a beautiful park or woods, stay very still and just breathe in the sweet fragrance of the flowers, sharp scent of the trees and grass. Soak in the heat from the sunshine and drink in all the colours while watching how the light and shadows seem to play a continuous game of catch? That is how this movie makes me feel about Salzburg.

The sound of music has always been one of the major influences of my childhood. It taught me that it is possible that love, no matter how impossible the idea seems, or how hurt you have previously been, it exists. It has taught me how a person should always try to understand how the other party feels, and rather then gloom and thunder about the problem, to instead just find a solution! This movie also protrays the ties of friendship and family, and how true and reliable they can be. It may be a family movie with little action, but it is a movie of morality and one with many teachings.

That Special Day

On this very special day a man opened his wife's underwear drawer and picked up a silk paper wrapped package: "This, - he said - isn't any ordinary package."

He unwrapped the box and stared at both the silk paper and the box.

"She got this the first time we went to New York, 8 or 9 years ago. She has never put it on, was saving it for a special occasion. Well, I guess this is it. He got near the bed and placed the gift box next to the other clothing he was taking to the funeral house, his wife had just died. He turned to me and said:

"Never save something for a special occasion. Every day in your life is a special occasion"

George Carlin

The paradox of our time in history is that we have taller buildings but shorter tempers, wider freeways, but narrower viewpoints. We spend more, but have less, we buy more, but enjoy less. We have bigger houses and smaller families, more conveniences, but less time. We have more degrees but less sense, more knowledge, but less judgment, more experts, yet more problems, more medicine, but less wellness. We drink too much, smoke too much, spend too recklessly, laugh too little, drive too fast, get too angry, stay up too late, get up too tired, read too little, watch TV too much, and pray too seldom.

We have multiplied our possessions, but reduced our values. We talk too much, love too seldom, and hate too often. We've learned how to make a living, but not a life. We've added years to life not life to years. We've been all the way to the moon and back, but have trouble crossing the street to meet a new neighbor. We conquered outer space but not inner space.

We've done larger things, but not better things. We've cleaned up the air, but polluted the soul. We've conquered the atom, but not our prejudice. We write more, but learn less. We planmore, but accomplish less. We've learned to rush, but not to wait. We build more computers to hold more information, to produce more copies than ever, but we communicate less and less.

These are the times of fast foods and slow digestion, big men and small character, steep profits and shallow relationships. These are the days of two incomes but more divorce, fancier houses, but broken homes. These are days of quick trips, disposable diapers, throwaway morality, one night stands, overweight bodies, and pills that do everything from cheer, to quiet, to kill.

It is a time when there is much in the showroom window and nothing in the stockroom. A time when technology can bring this letter to you, and a time when you can choose either to share this insight, or to just hit delete...

Remember; spend some time with your loved ones, because they are not going to be around forever. Remember, say a kind word to someone who looks up to you in awe, because that little person soon will grow up and leave your side. Remember, to give a warm hug to the one next to you, because that is the only treasure you can give with your heart and it doesn't cost a cent.Remember, to say, "I love you" to your partner and your loved ones, but most of all mean it. A kiss and an embrace will mend hurt when it comes from deep inside of you. Remember to hold hands and cherish the moment for someday that person will not be there again. Give time to love, give time to speak! And give time to share the precious thoughts in your mind.

AND ALWAYS REMEMBER: Life is not measured by the number of breaths we take, but by the moments that take our breath away.