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Of course I'm not forcing you to do anything if you don't want to, but seriously, what have you got to lose? Five seconds of your life?
Wait, but won't the database be done with something computerized, not just a collection of saliva (or hair, skin, blood, etc.) from everyone? Sure, maybe you could take any cell and manipulate each of its genes so that it matches someone, but that would be an extremely tedious and expensive task.
Well, yeah. Exactly my point?
So that it'd be increasingly difficult for anyone to get away with anything.
I don't really see how this is relevant. Unless you mean they could break in and alter the database, I'm not really understanding.
Regular people aren't going to have access to this database. :/ It would, obviously, be highly confidential.
Well, this can work on a voluntary basis (like opal suggested), or the government can simply mandate laws to require a DNA sample with each new blood test or doctor's appointment and with each newborn baby.
Well, nothing may be perfect, but criminologists can tie more pieces of evidence to a crime than just DNA.
Well, this is not really an issue. The government doesn't really /have/ to trust us. The database would be used purely to help criminal investigations; it's more saying that the government doesn't trust us as a country to not produce murderers (which, statistically, is not very offensive or a big reach).
They wouldn't come for the test, they'd intentionally try to screw it up, like giving their girlfriend's/boyfriend's DNA to them or taking substances that'd screw up the data etc.
True but say your murderer is a chemist, or used to work with government, or details got leaked, or people were bribed. No information is absolutely safe.
If its voluntary, criminals or would-be criminals wouldn't show up. Why would they go out of their way to make it easier for people to catch them? Oh, and I doubt you could do all of the tests with a newborn baby. In addition to blood, saliva, you'd also need a semen sample, as that kind of DNA evidence is often used in sexual assault cases. So, yeah. Not to mention the already mentioned logistical problems inherit in that...
You mean the prosecution can make up a case of pure conjecture and then use the false positive DNA match as evidence? Uh-huh, yeah thats able to happen.
No, they /have/ to trust us because we /have/ to trust them. This whole system is a trust system, each party wary of the other. One thing can inbalance that, spark suspicion on the other's suspicion, DNA Database can be the tipping point on that.
Well, okay, some people would not like it and work against it, but this doesn't mean it should be completely done away with. Plus, with girlfriend/boyfriend stuff, (in straight couples, at least), they'd know it's not that person's DNA simply through the gender. And, sure, someone may not come to the doctor's office, but then they wouldn't receive any medical attention. Ugh, sounds like a no-brainer to me. (I'm not saying we should threaten people, but if samples are mandated at, say, the next doctor visit, well, you'd have to go there.)
Regular chemists are not going to have access to the database. Neither are people that used to work with the government. Their ability to read confidential files and gather information was obviously revoked when they quit or were fired.
Well, maybe current criminals wouldn't show up for obvious reasons, but would-be criminals, unless on the verge of committing a crime, wouldn't know that they are criminals. Sure, they may still not show up, but some information is better than none. And parents of would-be criminals (when they're children, of course) may want their children entered into the database.
No. I mean that people can come up with more evidence in most cases than DNA. An accidental false positive would surely create some problems, but I'm thinking that it would be hard to "accidentally" misread DNA and match it exactly with someone else's.
Why should we not trust them with our DNA (and not even samples, either) if we trust them with information such as phone numbers, addresses, and social security numbers when DNA is so much less useful?
I don't see why everyone jumps to "omg! there will be corruption!" The government already knows ridiculous amounts of information about us; I don't see why something else (especially as useless as DNA) would suddenly make every government worker rebel against the people.
Did you know that many people in the US do not have regular checkups or go to the doctor for anything not immediately life-threatening? I would think that regulating things so that even more people wouldn't go to get things checked before they become a major issue would be a horrible idea.
