I used to think that the government had our best interest in mind. I believed they only tapped phones, watched people, monitored people who were bad. Now I question who they define as “bad”. I have lost faith that they will only use my personal information in the way it is intended to be used. My taxes and medical records are easily available “with cause” if the right agency asks. I’m also convinced that “cause” is easier to argue than I believed it was.
So, I was accused of seeing black helicopters because I disagree with the government maintaining a DNA database for those who volunteer it as a condition of being in a guest worker program. The circumstances of why the DNA is collected is independant of the fact that a database would be maintaned of people who haven’t violated the law and aren’t accused of violating the law. The general argument that some people use is “if you haven’t done anything wrong then what is the problem?” I’m not convinced the goverment will use this in an honerable fashion and only to help solve crimes.
So, are there black helicopters? Is it reasonable to expect our government to only use our personal data in the way it was intended to be used? Or, do you think the government can overstep those guidelines easily under the label of having cause.
To my knowledge they still fingerprint kids when they enter kindergarden or the 1st grade and maintain a database in case they are ever kidnapped (at leas I was when I was a kid). Assuming that these records are to be used to ‘solve crimes’ are you now against the digitizing of these files for national recovery efforts?
Anyway, just playing devils advocate.
IMHO the government (well anybody with the right set of skills) has access to my medical, financial, criminal, etc histories wether I want them to or not, so if this effort helps to keep sexual predators or terrorists off the street I’m really not out any personal freedoms.
Let me get this straight…you obay the laws of the land more often than not…and they dont prevent you from living how you want to live…this cant possibly be the case.
Decades ago I worked at a US Government facility in a laboratory. I was subjected to a background check prior to starting there. While thus employed your exposure to toxic materials was monitored. Four states, 25+ years, a college education - in 2 different states, 4 employers, and an entirely different field of employment later, a letter from the government agency overseeing this lab shows up in the mail wanting to know if I’d like a “free” health exam. This is at a house I had moved into just a year prior. I figured it they just accessed my tax records to get this new address.
I used to think that the government had our best interest in mind. I believed they only tapped phones, …
Since 9/11, all phone calls are now monitored. Every single one of them.
I think we are way past the day where we can expect our Govt. to only do things that benefit us. So yes, there are black helicopters and black OPs too.
Fingerprints are different, they don’t contain your fundamental genetic code. They can’t tell whether you are predisposed to cancers, birth defects, and information we don’t even know it contains yet.
Example of misuse: If you are on a governement sponsored healthcare plan, it is conceivable they will have access to this DNA database. Genetic predispositions to disease could be used as a pre-existing condition.
They can’t tell whether you are predisposed to cancers, birth defects, and information we don’t even know it contains yet.
Paranoia: A* tendency on the part of an individual or group toward excessive or irrational suspiciousness and distrustfulness of others. *
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Just because I’m paranoid doesn’t mean that everybody isn’t really out to get me!
Maybe I am paranoid but let’s reconnect in 20 years and see where we are in relationship to the government’s ability to have access to our medial records and how they are used.
What is funny about this is I generally think people are good and don’t have evil intent. I just don’t trust the institution that is our government. I have no faith that they won’t use whatever information they have on me against me given the right provocation.
Maybe I am paranoid but let’s reconnect in 20 years and see where we are in relationship to the government’s ability to have access to our medial records and how they are used.
What is funny about this is I generally think people are good and don’t have evil intent. I just don’t trust the institution that is our government. I have no faith that they won’t use whatever information they have on me against me given the right provocation.
Think of it this way,government health care, information is power.With population booming people living longer more control given to the government this so called universal health care system needs “info” to run a tight budget.Example ,you have a health condition the actuary run your DNA numbers and the answer is no medicine no operation for you.
Maybe I am paranoid but let’s reconnect in 20 years and see where we are in relationship to the government’s ability to have access to our medial records and how they are used.
What is funny about this is I generally think people are good and don’t have evil intent. I just don’t trust the institution that is our government. I have no faith that they won’t use whatever information they have on me against me given the right provocation.
Can I assume that you’re violently opposed to any kind of direct government involvement in our healthcare system…?
What I think is funny about this is the same crew that believe the government cant run or could not run health care effectively could manage a database of all of our a DNA without any serious negative ramifications…
There are examples of both public and private health care organisations keeping samples for posterity and if you google Alastair Cooke, this is just an example of people having access to materials and using them negatively. I do not want the government or similar bureacrats routinely having access to mine or others DNA and do not see a equivalence between keeping a DNA data base and running a health care system.
We are too late for that, aren’t we? Medicare, Medicaid. Our healthcare system is broken and I’m not going to pretend I know how to fix it. If people want to sign up for a government healthcare program it should be available to them. Should there be a government healthcare requirement for those not privately insured? No. Government subsidized free clinics might be a better solution but the problem is so complex I can’t even wrap my head around it.
