Sharp increase in bullying incidences since rise

of genetic engineering
The somber, untold side of genetic engineering rears its ugly head

Jose Benitez, New Toronto News

II

Posted: November 12, 2047

Bullying is at an all time high across schools in Canada, according to a nationwide study, and genetic
augmentation is the likely culprit.
According to the National Center for Bullying
Prevention (NCBP), bullying in Canadian
schools has risen an astonishing 320% since
2028, the first year of commercially available
genetic augmentation. Much of the teasing, the
report states, is on the basis of physical
features, particularly hair and eye colour.
Many early critics predicted this sort of issue,
opposing the technology on ethical and moral
grounds.
Not to toot my own horn, but I saw this coming, explained Joseph Reader, head of the NCBP. Most
children will tease others over the most trivial thing. This problem was inevitable.
Since the dawn of the genetic practice, green eyes and blonde hair have been a favourite. Many attribute
this to the wildly successful 2029 film Jean, the first movie to cross the $5 billion mark worldwide. The
action-adventure blockbuster features Francis Watson, the megastar who is know for these features. By
2040, just twelve years after the birth of the first commercially augmented child and 11 years after the
release of the film, over 62% of Canadian second-graders had one or both of these attributes. This trend
has lead to the ostracism of children who lack the right eyes or hair, children who often come from
poorer families unable to afford augmentation.
The study interviewed 10,000 elementary schools students nationwide who did not possess green eyes or
blonde hair. When asked if they had been bullied long term at school, a whopping 75% responded yes.
When asked if they had been bullied at least once, the number shot up to 92%.
It was in the first grade, I think, recalled 10 year-old Andy, every recess, I got kicked out of tag or soccer
games. In assemblies, I would sit alone just because I have brown hair and eyes.
There are tens of thousands of stories just like Andys, explained a concerned parent. This is becoming
the newest epidemic to plague the nation. Weve gotten rid of many diseases, but a new one has taken
their place.