[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 161 (2015), Part 4]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 4743]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                       HONORING AUSTIN HERNANDEZ

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. PETE OLSON

                                of texas

                    in the house of representatives

                        Thursday, March 26, 2015

  Mr. OLSON. Mr. Speaker, I am privileged to interact with some of the 
brightest students in the 22nd Congressional District who serve on my 
Congressional Youth Advisory Council. I have gained much by listening 
to the high school students who are the future of this great nation. 
They provide important insight into the concerns of our younger 
constituents and hopefully get a better sense of the importance of 
being an active participant in the political process. Many of the 
students have written short essays on a variety of topics and I am 
pleased to share them with my House colleagues.
  Austin Hernandez attends Foster High School in Richmond, Texas. The 
essay topic is: select an important event that has occurred in the past 
15 years and explain how that event has changed our country.


                 THE STEPPING STONE TO DESIGNER BABIES.

       Imagine a world in which a couple could choose the gender 
     of their baby. There would be no more suspense about the 
     baby's gender. Before conception, people would know and would 
     be able to give themselves adequate time to prepare for the 
     arrival of their new bundle of joy. Well, this is a process 
     that actually exists; it's called gender selection. On May 
     31st, 2012 The U.S. House of Representatives voted on whether 
     or not to pass a national Ban on the use of abortion to 
     eliminate an unborn child because of an undesired sex. This 
     fast track procedure was not passed, but still has hope. If 
     it were passed then the gender selection could be promoted 
     and this reoccurring problem would not exist. Over the Past 
     decade Gender selection has become a common practice used by 
     many couples around the world.
       The world today is not perfect, and neither are its people. 
     Heart disease, cancer, Alzheimer's, and many other diseases 
     run ramped in children, and one can't really prevent it. But 
     what if it were preventable? With gender selection, this is 
     possible. According to the Center for Human Reproduction 
     (CHR), ``In some cases, the so-called ``sex-linked diseases'' 
     are inherited via the mother but only male offspring are 
     affected (muscular dystrophy, hemophilia, etc.).'' For 
     example, because hemophilia only affects males, a woman with 
     hemophilia has the disease but it does not affect her. 
     However if she were to become pregnant with a boy, the 
     disease would then affect him. With gender selection she 
     would be able to save her baby boy from a life of problems. 
     This process has led to fewer abortions and increased the 
     health of children, which in turn could virtually increase 
     the life expectancy of the U.S.
       There are not only health reasons, but also psychological 
     reasons for gender selection. The CHR states that ``a single 
     female may feel better equipped having a daughter than a son; 
     parents who lost a child may feel a strong need for a child 
     of the same gender.'' If one were a single parent, wouldn't 
     they feel better with a child of the same gender? They also 
     claim that parent's whose children have passed away, may have 
     the desire for another child of the same gender. In fact, 
     many parents are deciding upon this option as a way to help 
     them move on and assist with the grieving process.
       Another negative effect of gender selection is the opening 
     of new doors and new possibilities when choosing a gender. 
     How far could it go? Maybe as far as choosing hair color, eye 
     color, intelligence, height, and ability, who knows? People 
     will do anything for perfection. This is basically 
     ``commodifying children'', says Gender Selection of Babies, 
     and this could lead to a whole revolution in baby making. 
     People wouldn't be unique anymore; the natural process of 
     development would become obsolete. The unforeseen 
     repercussions of gender selection could further harm society.
       Gender selection, although it can be helpful, has more 
     negative effects than positive and should not be a decision 
     made lightly. Gender Selection has made the country think 
     having a baby in a different way. Now for many having a child 
     could turn into some sort of shopping spree for the newest 
     and best item/baby. However, this process has helped 
     Americans and many others around the world choose the sex 
     they want. Not only has it also allowed families, who didn't 
     believe it was possible, to have children but it has also has 
     given them the choice to save a life and chose what they 
     want. Gender selection has changed America, and will continue 
     to help stop the abortion of unwanted children.

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