For the Greater Good

I don't like seatbelts.  It's personal, not
some silly protest.  It's also breaking the
law.  The government says it can make
personal choices for me.  How far will "for
your own good" end up going?

Yesterday I talked about parental choices
for their kids.  In a similar vein,
government makes choices for us - which
road goes where, what school gets money,
and when we go to war.  But with seatbelts
and insurance, they also meddle in our
private lives.

Sooner or later we will gain the ability to
alter human genetic make-up at will.  Would
it then be okay for our government to
require parents to tweak their children? 
For instance, cocaine is illegal.  If it is
possible to gene engineer a resistance or
allergy to cocaine, then might our leaders
force all new children to have that gene?

Are preemptive actions like that for the
greater good?  If you could prevent a child
from developing diabetes or cystic
fibrosis, the answer seems to be a
resounding yes.

But once on the road of good intentions,
where would it stop?  Genetic modifications
could make better soldiers, healthier
citizens, and smarter politicians.  Every
aspect of our genes could be federal
property, open to legislation and controls.

We aren't there yet, but sooner than we
like the greater good may be tampering with
our very genes.