Last week I saw a show that the producers of COPS and Americas Most Wanted put on that vindicated several convicted people using DNA. This week, while flipping channels, Oprahs show is also lauding the DNA identification process w/ several cases that were solved by DNA testing...as it is now felons have their DNA taken and logged...in England they have been taking sample DNA for even nonviolent and nonfelonious activity...are we being "sold" on DNA data banks for the greater "good" of society? Hmmmm...I think so.

This could be a bomb waiting to go off. The thought of Big Brother having the ultimate I.D. of me gives me the willies...

the british, always with their inovations. what would we do without them?

The misuse of dna information could be immense. First you will have insurance carriers denying coverage and even employers denying employment, because one has a genetic disorder that MIGHT manifest itself sometime in the future.

Then there is the question of what if there is a genetic disposition for criminal behavior discovered? Individuals could be incarcerated BEFORE they could commit any crimes. Innocent until proven guilt could become a thing of the past.

I gave a DNA sample when I joined the Army. I thought it might be nice if I were to be blown up to have all of my parts put in a bag and sent home. I don't think we need a national data base for everyone. My .02 worth

Imbrog,
 Exactly... scares the shit out of me!!!

It gave me the willies when I had to give a sample to the Army. Think of it this way, if someone has an exact copy of what your DNA looks like, then they could "place" it anywhere in the world and have you sent away. "Is this or is this not your DNA?".... meanwhile, some joker is putting those hashmarks on a piece of paper with his laptop and swearing that it was identified from a sample taken at such and such crime of the century....
Too far-fetched? I don't think so

First let me say that I am firmly in the rather let 1000 guilty folks go free rather than allow one innocent to be convicted camp.

Now, this is exactly how these things start. You have high-profile shows documenting how DNA evidence exonerated wrongfully convicted folks. Now, won't you kindly get in line to give your sample. It's only for future vindication should you ever find yourself wrongfully convicted. It's for the kids, don't ya know? It will come to pass, and we will allow it to happen, and that is the most disheartening thing about it.

EDITED to add that Imbro's right. FOr a movie that depicts just how this may be misused, check out GATTACA. And to further add that many have written books warning of many of the things that have come to pass, as well as those yet to come to pass, and still we do not heed the warnings.

"None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." - Johann W. Von Goethe

[size=3]As with any technology, the greater the potential use, the greater the potential abuse.

I love computers, but their data capacity will be our downfall.  CPU driven cameras following our entire lives.....

There was a show on TV the other night. Not about DNA, but related. It seems criminals and other people with "aggressive" behavior have less activity in the frontal cortex and as a result, cannot control their emotions to the same extent as "normal" people. They suggested that boys be screened for this condition at an early age, and if the condition is detected they can receive special "conditioning" to help them control their aggressiveness.

So, they basically want boys to behave like girls.

If aggressiveness is weeded out in men, who will fight the next war? We will become a nation of sheeple -- not just us in the PRK.

Their next step is a plan to study DNA to find the root cause of aggressiveness and come up with some sort of "therapy" for it.

All your boys are belong to us!

If you really want to get paranoid look at what is going on with your thumb print ID when you cash a check.  Now when you are a non-bank customer you have to give a thumb print to cash a check.  The banks are collecting this data and keeping track of the amount of checks you cashed.  What happens is that a file is created that matches you name, thumb print, License munber, and address to a data base that is then reported to th IRS when your cashed check total exceeds a certain amount. this infromation is also being used by the states to track dead-beat dads for child support.  Now if you work for cash you really need to get cash.

Ya know what I think?  I think that when you add it all up, in the end, we are f*cked.

Stubbs, I fear you're right. I feels like were all stuck in a giant snowball with arms and legs sticking out, rolling ,tumbling ever faster for the bottom of the hill...soon to crash sprawling everyone out and everyone scrambling to get up first. To survive.