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Posts
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Yes or No?
ARGUMENTS FOR:
A DNA database covering the whole population and every visitor to the UK, as advocated by Lord Justice Sedley, would save massive amounts of police time, money and help clear up crimes faster.
Those who do nothing wrong have nothing to fear and should be reassured.
The current system – the DNA of all those arrested for recordable offences, guilty or not, is retained – is selective and inefficient.
Current practice is unfair: ethnic minorities and young people are over-represented, creating resentment and anti-police feeling. Two-in-five black men have their DNA on record, as against fewer than one-in-ten whites.
The world has changed: international mobility means that potential terrorists can come and go, often on false papers.
ARGUMENTS AGAINST:
It would be the ultimate step on the road to a ‘Big Brother’ state: Britain would become ‘a nation of suspects’.
Whatever the utility of DNA samples, there is something inherently disturbing about entering every baby on a database at birth.
A national DNA bank would be massively expensive and bureaucratic.
It would be damaging to the image of the UK – ‘Welcome to Britain: now provide a mouth swab’.
DNA information could be abused by corrupt police and others illegally passing information to unauthorised people.
It’s a No for me please Carol.
However, it doesn’t really apply to us Irish.. We can’t even compile a decent phone book .. And anyway, apparently our DNA is everywhere as it is :lol:
@Sgt Pepper wrote:
It’s a No for me please Carol.
However, it doesn’t really apply to us Irish.. We can’t even compile a decent phone book .. And anyway, apparently our DNA is everywhere as it is :lol:
Did Carol do No’s? :lol:
I personally think it would be a good idea. It could potentially make the justice process a lot quicker and cheaper. Certain types of criminals like serial rapists and murderers could be taken off the street before they have a chance to keep repeating their heinous crimes. It may also make potential criminals think twice about committing a crime.
Having said that, I think legalising prostitution and drugs will reduce crime as well.
I’m just a girl who can’t say No.. :lol:
But yeah, I agree that there is pretty compelling evidence for establishing such a universal database as it were punda. But I dunno, methinks it may just create more problems than it solves, for a variety of reasons, including the very pertinent ones you listed above.
In saying that, current systems do need an overhaul.. With regard to both efficiency and accuracy. How this will be achieved I simply do not know in fairness. I’ll leave such supposition to better minds than mine.
I also agree with you in part with regard to certain relaxations in the laws on both prostitution and drug use.
Good thread this.
I’ve come to the conclusion that I am a ‘dunno’ person – I agree with you both, on all the points you have highlighted – especially the Irish one! :wink:
I’m usually against nibbling away at our freedoms and over bureaucracy but in this case I think it might be a good idea. Im not sure we should take everyone’s DNA right now that would be so expensive, but certainly all newborns and possibly all new immigrants entering the country. In time that would include everyone.
A big NO for me…a major step to a police state.
Nothing to hide, nothing to fear. What a creepy slogan they use which exposes their mentality more than the opponents of attacks on civil liberties. It could just as easily serve as the slogan of the SS in their hunt for Jews.
Reckon ‘the powers that be’ know more than we know they do anyway!
doesn’t want to agree with anc on this…but thinks she may well be right.
Stlli, best not to give them even more power over you.
Make your mind up man! :lol:
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