Federation attitude toward genetic engineering
- Thread starter Dilandu
- Start date
I imagine the Denobulans and Bynars are allowed to do as they desire.
It's probably a human specific thing in a Federation law.
It's probably a human specific thing in a Federation law.
Which makes one wonder - if humans have such restrictive laws, why doesn't Richard Bashir register his son as Denobulan? Even if Earth practices racial purity screenings on its own citizens, Denobula probably wouldn't, and we don't know (yet) of an Earth law against subhuman scum working on Earth, even as medical practitioners if that's young Julian's choice.
Timo Saloniemi
Timo Saloniemi
I think it just comes down to how humans fear what we can't control. That's the same reason why people don't like getting and staying married. 
In this case, it's more like humans fear BEING controlled. Hence my earlier comment about the genetically engineered becoming conquerors. Because as we've seen, that's exactly what they did. And would do again, if the UFP hadn't banned it.
There was probably a pragmatic reason in that Richard saw giving his six-year-old son illicit, dangerous genetic augmentation so he has an "unfair" advantage over peers to be far easier than the bureaucratic hoops of travelling to an alien culture and going through naturalization processes they may require (what would Amsha think of Richard's sudden desire to live in polyamorous Denobula Triaxa?).
Seconded, if the Bashirs really were going for the unfair advantage thing. If they instead wanted to make noise to the effect that they are "just evening the odds", going alien would be a nice political statement to make - but then Julian would not be allowed to exploit his no-longer-secret edge.
Which is exactly what I mean - Earth has no right to hold humans hostage to its laws if those humans choose to be Denobulans or Vulcans by citizenship instead.
Heck, if need be and the lawyers so insist, the Bashirs could have done a token further manipulation of Julian's genome to establish him as no longer human.
Timo Saloniemi
Which is exactly what I mean - Earth has no right to hold humans hostage to its laws if those humans choose to be Denobulans or Vulcans by citizenship instead.
Heck, if need be and the lawyers so insist, the Bashirs could have done a token further manipulation of Julian's genome to establish him as no longer human.
Timo Saloniemi
But is the law against gene manipulation only for Humans on Earth, or does it (through the Federation) apply to all Humans inside the Federation regardless of where they are?
If the Bashirs had stayed outside of the Federation with their now modified son, while they had done something illegal, they likely would have been fine. Their violation of the law became germane when they brought their son back into the Federation.
And does the prohibition apply to non-Humans living on Earth (Earth citizens) and on Human colonies?
If the Bashirs had stayed outside of the Federation with their now modified son, while they had done something illegal, they likely would have been fine. Their violation of the law became germane when they brought their son back into the Federation.
And does the prohibition apply to non-Humans living on Earth (Earth citizens) and on Human colonies?
There's no indication that the ban on genetic engineering applies to only one species (which in itself would be illegal, as it would be treating various member worlds differently). The episode just said it's banned in the Federation.
It depends on how legislation in the UFP works, really. Does every species have its own government, controlling individuals of the species regardless of their whereabouts or citizenship? If not, we're back to it being pretty unlikely that UFP legislators and their voters would agree to perpetuate the species-specific ban.
The characters were often subject to Federation law, but since that law apparently allows everything and forbids nothing, this doesn't provide us with much information. Was Spock additionally subject to Vulcan law (or just half of it)? How about purebred individuals of nonhuman UFP species? Of nonhuman, non-UFP species like Worf or Ro?
Timo Saloniemi
The characters were often subject to Federation law, but since that law apparently allows everything and forbids nothing, this doesn't provide us with much information. Was Spock additionally subject to Vulcan law (or just half of it)? How about purebred individuals of nonhuman UFP species? Of nonhuman, non-UFP species like Worf or Ro?
Timo Saloniemi
It impossibe to imagine a working Federation that doesn't treat it's hundreds of radically different species differently. The concept of a one size fits all system is wildly absurd.
While never directly mention, many fans assume that the Denobulans joined the Federation. Denobulan genetically modified themselves and are open and honest about it. Just because the Humans have a prohibition on modification doesn't mean the Denobulan (or any other Federation member) would have to have the same.
Federation member could have a recognition of other members law, but would hardly to require to apply the same law to their own people.
So Denobulans wouldn't modify a Human.
As a (apparently) citizen of Vulcan, he would be subject to Vulcan law, and it's protections. Would he also through his mother be a citizen of Earth, dual-citizenship? Hard to say.
Like a tourist?
Would Earth's prohibition on modification apply to a Earth citizen who wasn't a Human (immigrant), I could see it not applying.
By way of his adopted parents, I would imagine Worf was a citizen of Earth.
Not sure about Ro, if she was refugee on a Federation planet prior to joining Starfleet, her legal status might be as a resident (not citizen?) of that planet..
I'm aware that Denobulans practiced genetic engineering, but ENT never went into specifics as to how they did so. For all we know, they limited it to correcting genetic defects, which is still allowed in the Federation.
This is the one place where the otherwise progressive Federation gets it wrong.
And yet, there may be progressives who see this as being un-equal--or giving unfair advantage. It could go either way.
Hope not.