So, maybe freedom isn't just about me

This is a great post from Barbara Curtis, reflecting on the ways in which mantras of reproductive "freedom" might make today's young people feel.

Here's the start:

"Mom, how's this supposed make kids feel?" Sophia was waving a Newsweek with a cover on "The New Science of Sex Selection." Showcased inside were families who had "too much" (two or more) or "enough" (one) of one gender to cast their fate to the whim of their own reproductive capabilities.

Enter the brave new world of gender engineering.

From its humble beginnings with techniques familiar to cattle ranchers sorting livestock sperm, it has evolved into the more ethically-challenging practice of creating a bunch of in vitro embryos for the gender-deprived parents to choose from.
Say you have a girl already and want a boy. Say your Petri dish contains four of one and three of the other. Say goodbye girls.

They call it "family balancing."

With solid reporting, engaging sidebars, and crackerjack graphics, Newsweek had it covered - well, almost. For a young teenager with an inquiring mind - that is, thinking beyond the movies and malls - the story had some holes.

But do read it all here.