The Akins Gene, A Modest Proposal

     The Akins Gene

          A Modest Proposal

 

          Several years ago, Rep. Akins got into political trouble by saying that raped women usually spontaneously abort. That is untrue; and for him an ideologically convenient untruth. But I got to wondering; what if raped women did usually abort? How might this come to be?

          I figure that it would have to be a new gene, created by genetic engineering. The artificial gene would give women the ability to abort an unwanted embryo, by a conscious act. It's an inborn Power of Choice, for the obstetric self-defense of the genetically-modified women of the future. I propose that this Pro-Choice Gene have Roe v Wade timing; that is, easy and effective in the first trimester, increasingly difficult in the second, and impossible without outside aid in the third. This echoes Roe v Wade's necessary political compromise.

          So my proposal is that future genetic engineers write Roe v Wade into the human genome. I also propose that we call this Pro-Choice Gene the Akins Gene, in his honor for suggesting it. He thought that gene existed already, so let us create that gene, and name it after him. He has been living in a science fiction world all along; I propose that we make his fantasy a reality.

          I write this essay partly as satire, but also as distant early warning. We are living in science-fictional times; and this is precisely the kind of science-fictional crisis our grandkids might face. You read it here first.