TUESDAY, APRIL 27, 1999

Choosing sex of child wrong

Here we go again. Another biological breakthrough. Yep, another controversial issue to make society cringe. We've cloned the sheep. We've fertilized the eggs with the deceased father. Pamela Anderson Lee had her implants removed. So what issues are left to argue about?

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Michelle Schoenfelder

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The recently developed technique of gender selection in unborn children is unnatural, morally corrupt and flat-out wrong. Very rarely is this decision made for the well-being of the child but more often for the happiness of the parents.

It is wrong for parents to attempt to control their lives and the life of their child through genetic selection.

If the sex of the child is such a concern to the parents, perhaps the child is being born for all the wrong reasons. Does daddy really want an all-star quarterback? Does mommy want a prom queen?

Okay, so there might be scientific reasoning for this unethical technique.

Scientists and doctors proclaim the technique - that allows parents to chose the sex of their baby before conception - can prevent some genetic diseases.

However, that is only true for diseases that affect one gender, such as hemophilia.

Although disease prevention may be reasonable use for this breakthrough, any use of this technology opens the door to its abuse.

The larger problem of gender discrimination will only escalate in society.

One gender should not be valued over another. Isn't that what most of us have been raised to believe?

Isn't that what we have been taught in school?

Modern society has come a long way in its attempt to overcome gender discrimination.

The process of gender selection would only serve to defeat these attempts.

Arguments have been made that it is not gender bias for a family looking for gender variety.

For example, a family with three sons wants to add a daughter for balance.

Even in this circumstance gender discrimination exists. This decision is made by and for the parents, not the child. Shouldn't a healthy child be the concern of a properly motivated parent?

Michelle Schoenfelder is a journalism major.