PUTONG, MA. JOASAN S.

GSE-3 BIO20-C6

REACTION PAPER: GATTACA

GATTACA is a 1997 science fiction movie about altering the genetics of an unborn baby to
create a perfect individual. Over all, it was a great movie. One line that was very memorable to me
was said by the scientist to the parents of Vincent – “Keep in mind, this child is still you. Simply, the
best, of you. You could conceive naturally a thousand times and never get such a result.”. The parents
of Vincent forgo altering his DNA and when he was born, he was diagnosed with a heart condition
and a shorter life expectancy making him inferior to his younger brother which was genetically
engineered before birth.

Genetic engineering has its advantages and disadvantages. It could really be helpful for those
people that need it but could also be very dangerous when the knowledge on genetic engineering is
abused. For me, as I watched the movie, I found genetic engineering done on unborn babies to
enhance them as very unethical. Maybe in the future world where scientists are allowed to alter DNA
of unborn babies, genetic engineering should only be used to prevent birth defects. For me, there
should be limitations in genetic engineering and I find it reasonable to use in preventing and not to
enhance. This is to give all of us an equal chance in life.

Enhancing babies could lead to a dystopian future wherein societal control and the illusion of
a perfect society are maintained through corporate, bureaucratic, technological, moral, or totalitarian
control. As what was shown in the movie, the people were divided into two social classes, the
“Invalids” and the “Valids”. Once you are labeled as an “Invalid” you will always be inferior to the
“Valids” or the enhanced individuals. All of us should be given an equal starting point. Preventing
birth defects should be the priority of the scientists because it is unfair for those people born with
disability. They were pushed too far back even if they haven’t started on the race yet.