Mandatory DNA Testing

[rich62_uk]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4633918.stm

But does the fact that the Home Office have already built the world's largest DNA Database without most of us knowing about it mean that we should be more comfortable or less comfortable about this?

It makes me feel less comfortable, this is the one we have found out about and I must say they were not trying too hard to hide.
What about the information they may have on all of us that they really want to keep a secret, because it would outrage too many people????

For my part I really don't have a problem with the police having information about me that can be cross referenced for the purposes of crime detection. It would be great to think that for each crime committed DNA or other clues to the the identity of the person committing it were freely available to the police, I believe that it would make this country a safer place.

The problem with this is that we all know it would only be so long before the paper work turned up on the local rubbish dump, or some 13 year old in his lunch time managed to break into the computer system. Or even slightly more sinister that one of the Governmental "In the interests of National Security" departments had access to it.

The least of my worries would be that of me being " Fitted Up" for a crime, the more worrying is persons in authority being able to hide their identity (let us all think about the questions surrounding Diana's death), employers being able to check out your profile to see if you would still be suitable for the job due to our genetic type, or ultimately rather than just finding a way to produce the best wool maybe the right man to run an Army, the possibilities are endless, and a storage method that is flawless, still yet to be found.

Except one.

Don't collect the information.....

The real Rich

Please look only at the essence of this rather than as a body to perform an Autopsy upon.

[kenimac1]

Intrusion or not - DNA testing at birth should be mandatory. If you've done nothing wrong what is there to fear??

[_Ju_]

Intrusion or not - DNA testing at birth should be mandatory. If you've done nothing wrong what is there to fear??

Kenimac is a very lucky man/woman. He meets the love of his life, marries him/her and has lotsa lil' babies and lives happily everafter. His/her son/daughter one day also has a child that is DNA tested at birth as all children are at this time. Unfotunately Kenimac's child has a recessive alele for a disease (ie: cancer) and so does his/her partner. The DNA data base ends up being used, for a fee offcourse, by many credentialed enteties and some uncredentialled ones as well ( no system is foolproof and safe forever). One of the authorised entities are insurance companies. Kenimacs grandchild inherits recessive aleles from both parents and is therefore at a higher risk for said disease. This child will therefore be inelegible for health insurance or life insurance. Because of this, unless he/she has the money right out they will not be able to have a mortgage. This child, like so many others with "defective genetic codes", end up costing the government more in terms of health costs and benefits. The government is studying ways to discourage couples possesing "imperfect genetic codes" from reproducing. The insurance companies go a step futher, and just the way car insurance is cheaper for woman drivers, people with "perfect" genes find the have more beneficial prices compared to people carrying potencial disease inducing genes.

And this is a genetic data base used by legitimate users. Wonder what uses the illegitimate ones would get up to? Finding perfect organ donors matches and enforcing donation in some unregulated South American country after a kidnapping, for example?

PS: These scenarios are purposefully exagerated, thank you.

[JAWS]

If you've done nothing wrong what is there to fear??

Because, throughout History there have been many people with exactly that view, who found out to their cost, that not having done anything wrong did not save them from persecution and death.

The same thing is still happening today and in the last few years has occurred on a large scale in parts of Europe.

Of course, they behave like that in the Balkans.
This is Britain and we British are far above that sort of behaviour, it could never happen here.
Anyway, they must have done something wrong or it would never have happened to them.

I am not an expert in Genetics and would never claim to be, that sore of expertise I am quite happy to leave to far more knowledgeable people.
When one of those very knowledgeable experts says that a check of my genetic code can tract my origins as far back as four of the original female humans which originally left Africa I think I can safely assume that even a moderate one can go back half a dozen or so generations.
I dread to think what certain regimes in Europe, never mind else where in the World, could have done with that sort of information.
But people had nothing to fear, after all, they had done nothing wrong!

Yes, I know, I still remember, "But this is Britain, those things will never happen here!"
If it's happened once then it can happen again. If it has happened anywhere, then it can happen here.
Can anybody give me a complete guarantee that, however unlikely it may seem, in fifty yours time it will not be my grand-children who discover that having "done nothing wrong" provides no security from persecution.

Just think what it would be like if people like the BNP could utilise that sort of information, would you really feel safe?
I would not like the knock on the door because I was considered to have "defective genes" which needed removing from the "gene pool" and I certainly don't want to be one of those responsible for inflicting that possibility on future generations.

[katarina]

Boy, talk about meeting trouble half way! All the 'maybes' and 'what ifs' I just think you're diving into the realms of science fiction. All possible undoubtedly, but probable? Hmmm.
You could disect any progress and point out the downfalls and the why's and wherefores and give just reasons why we should stay exactly where we are. If aeroplanes were never allowed to take to the air, think of the disasters that could have been avoided! I could go on.

[JAWS]

Were I envisaging something from a long gone period, say the age of the Viking Longship, then yes, even I would see that as a virtual imposibility but I'm not.

I'm just saying that in view of what has already occurred within recent living memory could possibly occur again.
Unlikely I admit, and one I do not foresee, but not one I can rule out as being absolutely impossible.

I have very little faith, I am afraid to say, in the Human Race being able to completely refrain for one of it's bouts of Periodic Madness.

[katarina]

I have very little faith, I am afraid to say, in the Human Race being able to completely refrain for one of it's bouts of Periodic Madness.

Boy, are you a pessimist or what?

[JAWS]

Pessimist is the name given by an optimist to describe a realist.

I have come across so many things in human nature that I am shocked by very little and surprised by absolutely nothing.

I did not want to have to be in that state of mind and I wish it were not so.
Humanity has unfortunately forced that view on me and not through the Media o the Press.

The proportion of humanity that applies to is only a very small proportion but, none the less, they do damage out of all proportion to their numbers and most of the time little is done to prevent them doing it until it's too late.