Communication 103 Persuasive Outline, Stock Issues April 8, 2015 General Purpose: To persuade Specific Purpose: I. INTRODUCTION A. Imagine a world where you get to choose the type of child that you bring into it. You could pick their hair color, height, personality, intelligence, and many other aspects. You would get to design your baby. Would this be good or bad? B. If you have an opinion on this , then you will be interested in the concept of designer babies. C. I have read over ten articles on this topic and am well informed. D. I am here to convince you that the creation of designer babies will be negative to our society. E. If designer babies become a reality, they will affect everyone. While there can be some positives to certain aspects of this technology, they do no outweigh the negatives. The idea of perfection is a major barrier that our society needs to overcome in order to get past the want to genetically design children. II. BODY A. In the near future we may have the genetic technology needed in order to change an embryo and choose desirable characteristics for it. If this becomes a reality, it will affect everyone. 1. The concept of creating a child with specific traits is not far-fetched. A procedure already being widely used is called IVF, which helps couples that have infertility problems have children by pre-selecting embryos before implantation. Another procedure called PGD screens embryos for different genetic traits before they are implanted and physicians can choose ones that are not predisposed to certain genetic conditions, like serious diseases such as cystic fibrosis (Ly, 2010). 2. A major issue with the concept of designer babies is the fact that it would be a very expensive process. This technology would only be available to wealthy “affluent couples and would be used in ways that could increase inequality. The last thing we need now is a genetic elite” (Steere, 2008, para. 8). 3. In addition, there are many ethical and moral issues that go along with all this. When doctors helped infertile women have children or when they determined if a child would have certain diseases, they were praised. However, when they started helping paying people to change the sex of their child, many began to question this. Choosing the sex of a child, especially in some countries, could lead to even more sex discrimination (Sandel, 2004). TRANSITION: The beginnings of creating a designer baby are already in place today. B. Some of the reasons that we are getting closer and closer to a complete designer baby is because there can be some positives. However, all of these positives have two sides, one where they are ethically or morally okay, and one where they are not. 1. There is the concept of a savior child. This child could be considered the beginning of designer babies. The parents in this situation usually have another child who is very sick and needs a donor of some sort. Therefore they crea.

1. Communication 103
Persuasive Outline, Stock Issues
April 8, 2015
General Purpose: To persuade
Specific Purpose:
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Imagine a world where you get to choose the type of child
that you bring into it. You could pick their hair color, height,
personality, intelligence, and many other aspects. You would
get to design your baby. Would this be good or bad?
B. If you have an opinion on this
, then you will be interested in the concept of designer babies.
C. I have read over ten articles on this topic and am well
informed.
D. I am here to convince you that the creation of designer
babies will be negative to our society.
E. If designer
babies become a reality, they will affect everyone. While there
can be some positives to certain aspects of this technology, they
do no outweigh the negatives. The idea of perfection is a major
barrier that our society needs to overcome in order to get past
the want to genetically design children.
II. BODY
A. In the near future we may have the genetic technology
needed in order to change an embryo and choose desirable
characteristics for it. If this becomes a reality, it will affect
everyone.
1. The concept of creating a child with specific traits is not far-

2. fetched. A procedure already being widely used is called IVF,
which helps couples that have infertility problems have children
by pre-selecting embryos before implantation. Another
procedure called PGD screens embryos for different genetic
traits before they are implanted and physicians can choose ones
that are not predisposed to certain genetic conditions, like
serious diseases such as cystic fibrosis (Ly, 2010).
2. A major issue with the concept of designer babies is the fact
that it would be a very expensive process. This technology
would only be available to wealthy “affluent couples and would
be used in ways that could increase inequality. The last thing
we need now is a genetic elite” (Steere, 2008, para. 8).
3. In addition, there are many ethical and moral issues that go
along with all this. When doctors helped infertile women have
children or when they determined if a child would have certain
diseases, they were praised. However, when they started
helping paying people to change the sex of their child, many
began to question this. Choosing the sex of a child, especially
in some countries, could lead to even more sex discrimination
(Sandel, 2004).
TRANSITION: The beginnings
of creating a designer baby are already in place today.
B. Some of the reasons that we are getting closer and closer to a
complete designer baby is because there can be some positives.
However, all of these positives have two sides, one where they
are ethically or morally okay, and one where they are not.
1. There is the concept
of a savior child. This child could be considered the beginning
of designer babies. The parents in this situation usually have
another child who is very sick and needs a donor of some sort.
Therefore they create a child that will be the correct match for
them. While this may sound wonderful for some because they
are saving a child’s life, they could also be ruining this savior
child’s life in the process. The creation of these children is just
the beginning, who knows how far we could take it. (Wilkinson,
2003).

3. 2. Another positive
some people may see is found within the disabilities
community. For example, a couple with deafness could choose
the have a child that is also deaf so that they could be a part of
their cultural community. Even if it is not seen as a disability
to the parents, it is not ethical for someone to bring in an
innocent child into this world with such characteristics just
because they want to (Savulescu, 2002).
3. A huge problem in our society is the belief that everyone
should look and act a certain way. “7 in 10 girls believe they
are not good enough or do not measure up in some way
including their looks, performance in school and relationships”
(Shapiro, 2009, para. 6). It is a huge barrier that needs to be
overcome in order to realize that there is no need to genetically
design a baby. No one needs to be perfect, and the fact that
everyone is so unique is what helps make our world so
wonderful. (Darnovsky, 2001)
TRANSITION
: In order to help solve this problem, people need to help make
a change.
C. If we do not stop this downward spiral towards designer
babies, it will most likely lead to much discrimination in all
aspects of life.
1. The fact
that our society places so much importance on looks and
perfection is one of the main reasons parents are interested in
creating a designer child. Being perfect, or our idea of perfect,
will not make anyone happy. In order to change this belief, we
all need to stop judging others based on looks or their ability to
play sports or get amazing grades (Brown, 2013).
2. Not everyone can or should be good at everything. Being
different is not a bad thing. We all need to start accepting
everyone for the way that they are, and if we do this, there will
be no need for designer babies. This issue of perfection in our
society is a whole problem of itself, and it is a big reason why
people would support designer babies.

4. 3. To more directly help prevent the creation of designer babies
simply google designer baby petitions and many websites will
come up where you can sign a petition and voice your opinion.
III. CONCLUSION
A. I have tried to convince you that creating designer babies
will not be a positive.
B. Designer
babies have many negative aspects and they will affect everyone
in one way or another. People need to overcome this idea of
perfection and accept others for their differences so that we do
not end up a society where everyone is the same.
C. Next time you’re
judging someone for being different or not skinny enough or
not pretty enough, think of a world where everyone is the same.
Think of what it would be like if everyone were smart and
athletic. I do not know about everyone else, but that is not a
world I would like to live in.
References
Brown, B. (2013). Want to be happy? stop trying to be perfect.
CNN. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2010/LIVING/11/01/give.up.perfection/
Darnovsky, M. (2001). The case against designer babies. Center
for Genetics and Society.
Retrieved from
http://www.geneticsandsociety.org/article.php?id=3540
Ly, S. (2010). Ethics of designer babies. The Embryo Project.
Retrieved from
http://embryo.asu.edu/pages/ethics-designer-babies
Sandel, M. (2004, April). The case against perfection. The
Atlantic Online. Retrieved from

5. http://jrichardstevens.com/articles/sandel-genetics.pdf
Savulescu, J. (2002, October 5). Deaf lesbians, “designer
disability,” and the future of medicine.
PMC. Retrieved from
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC1124279/
Shapiro, H. (2009). Girl’s self esteem. In Examiner. Retrieved
from
esteem-for-back-to-school"
http://www.examiner.com/article/dove-s-campaign-for-real-
beauty-boosts-girls-self
esteem-for-back-to-school
Steere, M. (2008, October 30). Designer babies: Creating the
perfect child. CNN. Retrieved from
http://www.cnn.com/2008/TECH/science/10/30/designer.babies/
Wilkinson, S. (2003, July 30). Should selecting saviour siblings
be banned? Journal of Medical
Ethics. Retrieved from
http://jme.bmj.com/content/30/6/533.short
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causes/barriers, and solution
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needs to tell us that you are going to talk about the next main
point.

6. �This is a positive side and you are refuting it. But this is not
following the format. You can rephrase to make this a
cause/barrier.
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following the format. You can rephrase to make this a
cause/barrier.
�Again, this is a bit unclear transition. You could say “Now
that I discuss the problem, and causes and barriers in regard
with designer babies, I am going to suggest a solution.” Or
something along those lines.
�In the first two sub-points, you discussed how trying to be
perfect leads to the creation of designer babies, and thus we
should stop thinking in that way. In the action step, you
proposed signing the petition, and it is good, but it seems
somewhat abrupt.
�Again, you need to review your main points (problem,
causes/barriers, and solution that you proposed briefly.)
�contraction