Would you enjoy having had your DNA entered into a national database when you were an infant?
And why would that be so bad? DNA has been real helpful in solving crime. Do you like crime?
I suppose the quick short answer is that it is an invasion of personal privacy. It's hard to imagine anything more personal than DNA.
In relation to crime, collecting DNA before the fact, or even before any reasonable suspicion or indictment, is tantamount to the assumption of guilt rather than innocence. Our Bill of Rights currently instructs government to regard citizens as innocent until proven guilty. We currently have plenty of criminals in government who, despite their sworn oath, are developing and protecting laws repugnant to the Constitution and Bill of Rights. I'm astounded this is allowed to continue.
Further, there is no human made mechanism that is infallible regarding administration, recording, and human distribution, of the collected DNA particulars. Would you trust your life and well being to the computer you are presently staring at? Is a government blessed computer system any more confidence inspiring?
Have you noticed the widespread reports of ACA website problems? (The best
your money can buy?)
Did you know that the DHS is just one agency investigating behavioral traits via DNA analysis? Ostensibly, this is to identify terrorists before the fact. But, by extension, what will they do with discovered trait categories that regard, say, voting propensity or the willingness to follow authoritarian instruction?
Could knowing behavioral traits beforehand make military or police recruitment screening allow the collection of personnel that will "follow orders without question or consideration of repercussions"? Absolute power corrupts absolutely. Are you willing to give that sort of power to a regime 50-75 years into the future? If not, why does it make sense today? Correcting mistakes are usually more costly than avoiding them, in my experience.
Consider the social engineering threat. The prospect of controlling human behavior via DNA gene or trait identification seems real enough to me. It's fine if you happen to be one of the engineers. But, how is that really different from slavery? Suppress and intimidate the free/independent thinkers, those that question authority.
"Mrs. subject (insert social security number here), we have determined though DNA analysis that your newborn has a 70% probability of becoming a terrorist/murder/rapist/tax evader (pick one). This may be averted by the proper behavioral training, so his upbringing will be closely monitored and controlled. Do you wish to comply for the rest of his developmental years? Or, allow the child to become a ward of the government?" This, of course, is now fictitious story telling. Other fictions have become reality, though. What is to prevent this one? A magnanimous government?
What do you call a government or a government agency that does not trust it's citizens? Paranoid, or Fascist?
Are the days gone where laws are scrutinized and considered for the harm they can do as well as the possible good they might bring about?
You asked if I like crime? Of course, just like most humans. I like certain crimes when I'm the one doing it. Speeding, for example. Do I like being a victim of crime, of course not! Particularly, when I have absolutely no recourse from birth but to be a victim.
Many humans have a natural trait to explore and infringe upon defined boundaries. You're told not to put your hand in the fire. Many will do it anyway, at least once, to learn firsthand the consequences. Others, will observe the outcome when someone else does it and sufficiently learn from that. Still, the boundary was explored and the consequences learned. Rules and laws only set boundaries for behavior. They don't of themselves prevent any such behavior.
The fact is, you can't prevent each and every person from doing something "wrong" (as defined by another human) without removing all freedoms from the individual. I see slavery as the antithesis of freedom. Each freedom lost or relinquished is one step closer to slavery. I've no interest in having or becoming any more of a slave than I am already. And, I don't wish or desire such on future generations.
If we disregard the Bill of Rights for the sake of short term convenience, what does that say about our society's future?
