Summary: The Warrior Gene

Born to Be a Criminal: The Warrior Gene

"Sixty minutes goes by in the blink of an eye. It's barely enough time to accomplish much of anything, really. But by the next tick of the long hand, two Americans will have lost their lives to acts of violence. In that same hour, 250 more will need medical treatment for a violence- related injury. As the hours pass, so mount the costs: on average $1.3 million for each violent fatality and $80,000 for each non-fatal assault. Each year, nearly 3% of our country's gross domestic product is lost due to violence" (Buckholtz). Clearly, violence is an issue that needs to be addressed. In order to determine the most effective way to minimize violence, we must first understand where the violence originates. For

As Lawrence Perbal discussed in his article, "The Warrior Gene' and the Mãori People: The Responsibility of the Geneticists", found in the journal Bioethics: Volume 27 Number 7, "many studies have shown a statistical (positive correlation) or causal relationship between low levels of MAOA and aggressive behavior, mental retardation, lack of self-control, addiction, and risk taking behaviors". In a TED Talk done by Jim Fallon, he goes on to explain how those with this monoamine oxidase A gene, have an overflow of serotonin in youth. This may boggle the mind because serotonin has to do with feelings of joy or happiness. However, because of this overdose of serotonin at a young age, these people become tolerant of the serotonin and it no longer has the outcomes it is intended to have (Fallon). As with anything, once tolerant, the ability of serotonin to produce feelings of pleasantry is diminished greatly. Consequently, without the capability of having these pleasing feelings it causes those particular individuals to be more likely to having aggressive outbreaks of brutality and outrage. Jim Fallon also makes a countering point in his Ted Talk, that without a traumatizing event, these genes do not create a criminal. He argues that without a mortifying occurrence, people will live "normal" lives free of

What needs to be realized is that the benefits of altering these warrior genes outweigh any possible costs. We can create the best possible building blocks to enhance and better our futures. By putting an end to violence and crime before it can occur, we are protecting the livelihood of our future, our children's future, and far beyond that. As research goes forward in the field of genetic engineering the possibilities are endless. Over time crime rates will recede. As a whole, within the United States and other areas around the world, the reign violence has had over us will be now taken