All Aboard the DNA Data Base
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It doesn’t matter if you do not have a criminal record or any brush with the law. Lord Justice Stephen Sedley would like everyone in the country and everyone visiting the country to be included in a comprehensive DNA data base:
“LONDON — All British citizens and every visitor to the country should be included on the national DNA database, which is already the world’s largest, a senior British judge said Wednesday.
Lord Justice Stephen Sedley said the current database of nearly four million is insufficient, and that ethnic minorities are disproportionately included.”
Link: U.K. judge says all citizens, visitors should be in DNA database
This would be another step toward the ’surveillance society.’ How much privacy does a citizen give up in the name of security? As one would expect, there are many who strongly oppose the government collection of such personal information. And, as DNA science progresses, that data will yield more information than presently available. The DNA data is not only who you are but may unlock questions such as disposition to illnesses, longevity, mental health…
Perhaps Lord Justice Sedley needs to be reminded of a comment made by an American Justice of the United States Supreme Court. Justice Louis D. Brandeis said: “The makers of the Constitution conferred the most comprehensive of rights and the right most valued by all civilized men — the right to be let alone.”
Catherine Forsythe
Director of Operations
FlyingHamster
[tags]dna testing, data base, lord justice stephen sedley, privacy, security, justice louis brandeis, surveillance society[/tags]
3 Comments
Paul Higgins
September 23rd, 2007
at 7:17pm
The Nuffield Council on Bioethics said about the same time that non criminals should have their DNA removed from the database. I know who I agree with. Britain is slowly becoming a restricted, controlled society. And people were afraid of the socialist ‘Real’ Labour party of the 1970’s!
John
September 24th, 2007
at 1:45pm
I recently read an article relating to DNA and genome mapping stating that 99% of what we are is in the DNA. But, relatively speaking, a lot can be accounted for, or affected by by even that 1%. In any case, even the detail in the DNA is not as definitive as ‘the common man’ believes that it is. Some of the possibilities for misapplication were presented in the movie ‘Gattica.’
It is possible to have twins, who obviously share the same DNA, and have them turn our where they have *nothing* in common in addition to their DNA execpt their appearance, if that. Hmmmm…..
Human beings are good at being conceited enough to think that they have enough knowledge of a particular scenario or situation to wade in with the information at hand, and set social or government policy. We still don’t know what’s in seven-tenths of the oceans, we don’t understand fully how the brain, memory and thought processes work, we can’t explain ‘the soul,’ and we don’t understand and can’t control the weather.. Saying that mapping the DNA gives you enough info to understand all causes and effects is about as valid as saying that understanding the chemical structure and DNA of hamburger gives you enough into to build a cow. How conceited; how near-sighted; how stupid.
It should come as no surprise that there is a major divergence of thought in what constitutes a ‘free and open society’ between the US and the UK. The US has had some level of disagreement on that point for almost three hundred years.
The UK, and Australia are curtailing more and more personal rights and freedoms in the name of ‘the state.’ Britain now takes the position that one has no right to privacy outside one’s front door, and precious little inside it. Practically every inch of Britain’s larger cities is now under recorded surveillance. Has it increased a Britain’s basic level of safety? Most would argue that it probably has not. Is it ever completely possible? Probably not. The USSR tried to observe, restrict and control everything, and it didn’t turn out that well for them, either.. Of course, then there’s Cuba. They seem to be making ‘for the good of the people’ a concept that’s stuck around for a considerable time. Do their people think that they’re better off? I dunno.. Ask ‘em.
Humans are a danger to themselves simply because they aren’t smart enough to know what they don’t know. And what you don’t know can kill you..
Kikillo
September 24th, 2007
at 3:16pm
I know that I will sound cliched, but for those who don’t have yet formed an opinion on this issue, this two books are must read:
1984 - by G. Orwell
Brave New World - by A. Huxley
They should be mandatory reading in high school curriculum, specially in UK and USA where they’re quickly approaching the disfunctional societies prophesied in this books.