As of today, the knowledge in genetic engineering is far too poor to start meddling with our own genome. Once again, helpless individuals from other species are being volunteered to serve science. But if we can accept that there will come a time when we will know our genetic material as well as we now know the solar system (which was for long forbidden to human knowledge), we need to be prepared for when it comes.

Let's not repeat the mistake of Nuclear Power, that went so quickly from discovery (Becquerel 1896), to abuse (Hiroshima, Nagasaki, 1945). Fifty years. When the time comes, the debate must have already been taking place for long enough that the people would be acquainted to it's implications.