Roaring debate over the ethics of genetic

augmentation continues
Conservative Christians protest research facility, head researcher has none of it.

Jose Benitez, New Toronto News

II

Posted: January 2, 2031

It may be a new year, but the debate raging outside the Human Augmentation Association of
Medical Science headquarters in
Toronto, Ontario remained the
same.
A group of about 50 protesters from
a local church picketed the facility
late Sunday, holding up signs with
Bible verses and condemnations of
genetic work.
The lead researcher, James
Randall, would have none of it.
We will not capitulate to the desires of extremists, the 57-year old scientist explained, our
research and findings are immensely beneficial to mankind. Gene-News caught up to Dr.
Randall after he pushed through several of the screaming protesters to get to his vehicle.
Randall and his team are pioneers in the area of genetic augmentation. He took home the 2028
Nobel Prize in Medicine for his work on the procedure to customize human babies, becoming
the 20th Canadian born person to win a Nobel Prize. The organization recently issued a press
release informing the public that Randall had begun work on Down Syndrome.
We hope that by moving onto the development of medical treatments for inherited disease
instead of developing new cosmetic techniques, we can change the lives of scores of people
around the globe, said Janet Nguyen. It saddens me to see people protesting work that could
improve the quality of life of those who they believe to be created in Gods image.
The debate over whether humanity should augment the building blocks of life has been a
polarizing one since it started to become viable around 2025. Proponents argue that by doing
so, we can increase the happiness and health of millions, while opponents share concerns
about potential health risks and moral boundaries that should not be crossed.