This is a tricky one and I'm going to leave mostly what I think out of it.
I would say though that when I chose my DH, the qualities he would contribute to our children was very high on the list, perhaps even number 1. I am not a romantic though... I won't go on about it but I am very happy with my decision.
Secondly and I know this will def throw the cat amongst the pigeons, It seems to me that in this day and age we have effectively neutralised positive evolution. Survival of the fittest is not something we can describe as a marker of humans anymore.
We are able to cure/save so many people with conditions that would have prevented people being able to start families. We also provide support as a society to people who generally would not have been able to care for children independently in previous eras. I think this is a good and wonderful thing. I support that people with disabilities and chronic disease should be able to have children, also couples dealing with infertility.
But what happens in the next eon when these differences have been assumed into the population without any positive counteraction? I guess I'm thinking about thousands / millions of years into the future - I just wonder if we, in the space of 100 years, or so are irrevocably changing the course of human history for the worse in the name of being more "humane" in the present. Is that acceptable or not? If it is acceptable do we have a moral imperative to act in the positive in an equal amount, or is our business in there here and now?
These are questions I wrestle with and don't have a firm opinion on. I wonder if geneticists and social engineers think about it too...
I hope I don't come of as a latent Nazi, I have very strong negative views on that too.
That's just it. We DON'T know what's going to happen. What if they are unknowingly selecting for other traits? What if those kids won't be happy because of it, for whatever reason? What will happen in a "smarter" world? We can't say we do know what will happen, now or later - and if we don't know the consequences, should we do it? What if things go too far? Everyone has a different opinion on what constitutes "too far", but I think we can almost all agree there is a line somewhere. Honestly, I haven't decided either, but I don't think any decision that would impact future generations should be rushed into without serious thought by all sides.
