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Published online 30 April 2008 | 453, 9 (2008) | doi:10.1038/453009a
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Genetics bill cruises through Senate
Unanimous vote welcomed by personal genomics companies.
The unanimous vote last week by the US Senate to outlaw discrimination against people on the basis of their genetic information is being celebrated by civil-rights groups, which have long campaigned for the safeguards. Personal-genomics companies are also cracking open the champagne — they have a lot to gain from the bill becoming law.
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We now need to move forward and think about developing ways by which participants contributing biological samples in disease, biomarker and pharmacogenomic gene discovery programs can be given proper incentive.
I wonder if discrimination is always a bad thing. There is, I gather, some evidence that paedophilia has a genetic component. Suppose that someone discovers a gene, the Superadventure Club gene, that has high predictive value in determining whether its bearer is a paedophile. Should schools not have a right to discriminate against prospective teachers if they are found to have the SCLUB gene? This isn't the only example. There has been longstanding concern about Pakistan's nuclear weapons programs due to all the religious nutters in the region. Earlier this year I heard a report on the BBC Worldservice about this issue that pointed out that the workers at these facilities have annual background and psychological checks. One of the factors they specifically look for, and which will bar future employment, is strong religious belief. Given that strong religious belief sometimes has a genetic basis some discrimination here might be acceptable.
I think the point is that people should be judged based on their actual actions. Preventing someone from being a school teacher based on a gene that has "high predictive value" in determining whether someone is a pedophile is a very slippery slope. Many people may carry that gene, but due to environmental conditions/other genes they may not ever become pedophiles. Judging based on a genetic predisposition basically throws free will out the window. This is even true for disease-related genes. A high probability of disease does not mean the person will develop that disease, and may be able to take preventative measures against it.
The gene for pedophilia ! I wonder if we are knowledgeable enough to DO something about it !? What other genetic implications may it have ? And if we are to pursue activist eugenics for pedophilia, what else ? An inclination for a genetic predisposition towards "subversive" thought ?