I know it's an oldie, but ther may be a few who haven't seen it. Besides, it still makes me chuckle.
Posted on 02/05/2007 2:09:25 PM PST by neverdem
The Justice Department is completing rules to allow the collection of DNA from most people arrested or detained by federal authorities, a vast expansion of DNA gathering that will include hundreds of thousands of illegal immigrants, by far the largest group affected.
The new forensic DNA sampling was authorized by Congress in a little-noticed amendment to a January 2006 renewal of the Violence Against Women Act, which provides protections and assistance for victims of sexual crimes. The amendment permits DNA collecting from anyone under criminal arrest by federal authorities, and also from illegal immigrants detained by federal agents.
Over the last year, the Justice Department has been conducting an internal review and consulting with other agencies to prepare regulations to carry out the law.
The goal, justice officials said, is to make the practice of DNA sampling as routine as fingerprinting for anyone detained by federal agents, including illegal immigrants. Until now, federal authorities have taken DNA samples only from convicted felons.
The law has strong support from crime victims’ organizations and some women’s groups, who say it will help law enforcement identify sexual predators and also detect dangerous criminals among illegal immigrants.
“Obviously, the bigger the DNA database, the better,” said Lynn Parrish, the spokeswoman for the Rape, Abuse and Incest National Network, based in Washington. “If this had been implemented years ago, it could have prevented many crimes. Rapists are generalists. They don’t just rape, they also murder.”
Peter Neufeld, a lawyer who is a co-director of the Innocence Project, which has exonerated dozens of prison inmates using DNA evidence, said the government was overreaching by seeking to apply DNA sampling as universally as fingerprinting.
“Whereas fingerprints merely identify the person who left them,” Mr. Neufeld said, “DNA profiles have the potential to reveal our physical diseases and...”
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Gee I wonder if they will handle people's DNA with the same care and dilligence they handle people's social security numbers, and other personal information with?
BATFE agents are federal agents, and have recently detained people simply for attending gun shows - no charges filed.
If the people are found innocent, the records should be destroyed if those same people request that the records be destroyed.
The bigger the DNA database, the bigger the government.
Notice that we're not talking about criminals, we're talking about a DNA database of everyone "arrested or detained by federal authorities." The potential for abuse is staggering.
Gattaca.
placeholder.
You've got it all wrong. Now the Government can pick and choose, pick and choose. Bad DNA no rights, Good DNA welcome to the club. Gas chambers for some and not others. It will be a Brave New World indeed. ;)
I know it's an oldie, but ther may be a few who haven't seen it. Besides, it still makes me chuckle.
You can't be "found innocent" if charges are never filed. Your proposal needs expansion.
Hey, this ain't surprising in the least. They are already forcing a National ID on us. We won't be able to board a plane, buy or sell property, etc. without it.
Was it Thomas Jefferson who said we should have a revolt every 10 years to prevent this type of tyranny? Well overdue in my opinion...
The proposal can be expanded--even to include convicted criminals (for misdemeanors and nonviolent crimes). Surely you get the main idea, though? Only in rare cases such DNA records should be kept.
as we creep ever closer to days foretold ;)
And hmmm...who's falt is that, you nySlimes?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.