Should genetic engineering be undertaken? In what contexts? For whom?

The genetic enhancement of humans has the potential to radically alter our makeup at a speed unprecedented in biological history. New tools, such as Crispr-Cas9, provide for a precision in editing heretofore unseen. We could, for example, rewrite our genetic makeup in a manner that improve our health, our intelligence, and our beauty. On the other hand, as science fiction writers have often explored (e.g. Gattaca), these alterations have the potential for increasing inequality in unprecedented ways—permitting the rich to make themselves smarter, stronger, faster, more beautiful, than those without access to these technologies. At the same time, improvement of cognitive skills (memory, creativity, etc.) could have unimaginable positive impacts on the global population. Simply put, the question of genetic engineering is incredibly complex and difficult. Should genetic engineering be undertaken? In what contexts? For whom? What should or should not be changed? Should these changes be limited to somatic editing or might germline editing also be acceptable? This response should be a minimum of 300 words in length (that’s usually about 1 page, double-spaced, 12 pt font; there is no maximum length) and cite at least one of the required readings.