Bush signs bill to collect all newborns' DNA

How did this get through without tons of media attention? :mad:

Oh, JE, don't worry about your post count here. I believe this thread is going to have a life of it's own once everyone sees it!
 
This is outrageous. What does it say that only Ron Paul seems to have opposed it!? I fear for our country, truly, when I hear things like this. How could this affect insurance eligibility? Privacy? Genetic engineering? OMG.

Eve
 
Exactly what kind of "public health emergency" would require the possession of everyone's DNA?
 
Actually I think some are panicing...

thomas.loc.gov

A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish grant programs to provide for education and outreach on newborn screening and coordinated followup care once newborn screening has been conducted, to reauthorize programs under part A of title XI of such Act, and for other purposes


As it stands now it is an education and health screening program. But I fear with the wrong gov't what it may become. It is not mandatory or done across the board to all babies, it is a voluntary study over 5 years. I think :waitasec:
 
Actually I think some are panicing...

thomas.loc.gov

A bill to amend the Public Health Service Act to establish grant programs to provide for education and outreach on newborn screening and coordinated followup care once newborn screening has been conducted, to reauthorize programs under part A of title XI of such Act, and for other purposes


As it stands now it is an education and health screening program. But I fear with the wrong gov't what it may become. It is not mandatory or done across the board to all babies, it is a voluntary study over 5 years. I think :waitasec:

The problem is they *keep* the DNA and *own* it and can do whatever they want with it. Whoever 'they' exactly is. And it is mandatory - the law means all newborns will (must) have DNA collected from them and it will be stored. They did a great job packaging it nicely. And I am sure parts of it are good and helpful. But again... mandatory... no consent needed... DNA will be stored. Nope. Not good.
 
The problem is they *keep* the DNA and *own* it and can do whatever they want with it. Whoever 'they' exactly is. And it is mandatory - the law means all newborns will (must) have DNA collected from them and it will be stored. They did a great job packaging it nicely. And I am sure parts of it are good and helpful. But again... mandatory... no consent needed... DNA will be stored. Nope. Not good.
I'm not so sure....Amends the Public Health Service Act to authorize the Secretary of Health and Human Services, acting through the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA), to award grants to eligible entities to...
 
Think about this guys. My son thought of this. What will keep the government from using our children's Dna to clone if it is in wrong hands? This is a nightmare!
 
I do not like the thought of this at all.
There would be nothing stopping them cloning and then doing god knows what (shivers just thinking about it) to that "clone"

Remember that tv show "The Pretender" I can see a situation like that happening among other(worse) things.
 
I see home births on the rise!

What's to stop anyone from planting DNA evidence ???
 
Its a sign of the times....

We are becoming not any different than countries we considered horrible years ago.
 
I see home births on the rise!

What's to stop anyone from planting DNA evidence ???

My thought too. Since DNA evidence seems to be bulletproof with juries, all you need is someones DNA pattern, then claim whatever microscopic forensic material is available has that pattern. They wouldn't even have to synthesize it, just claim the piece was so small it was all consumed in testing.

C6
 
I see both sides of the issue here. It seems that it should be a program you have to be informed of before the test is done and that you can opt out of it.

I can see a lot of good coming from this progam if it is never taken advantage of (admittedly an unlikely "if").

  • Citizenship would be documented
  • Diseases could be treated early (corrected?)
  • You could know your DNA sequence to know that if you mate with someone with the same genes you could pass on birth defects or diseases.
  • Unidentified bodies could be ID'd giving closure to families.
  • Criminals could be caught after the first offense instead of the 100th.
  • All of the problems with criminals changing names could be minimized
  • In regards to testing, perhaps countless medical breakthroughs could occur with such a large database. (should have to sign an extra consent when sample is collected for an extra sample to be used for medical or research purposes)
  • The parents of the baby could be identified - big issue when it comes to collecting child support, but could cause some divorces or even prevent some people from sleeping around.
I think they did package this (deceptively) nicely, as noted above.

I don't know whether i would let them collect samples from my babies.
 
I'm glad my child bearing years are behind me. Time to move to the islands. :confused:
 
i want to add a few more comments.
  • kidnapped children and children rescued from sex rings could be ID'd.
  • Perhaps criminals could be found based on a baby with half of their DNA.
  • Adopted kids could find their family
  • Families can be reunited after disasters such as earthquakes or Katrina.
I really don't understand the follow up concept after the sample is taken.
 
oh no.

This is way to scary.
I cannot believe Bush signed this.What the hell is wrong with him!
 
This might even help with the whole identity theft/fraud issue, but I still feel it's wrong in my bones.
 

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