MP wants ALL men in Bristol DNA screened to find killer

[spooky3]

Does that matter? Without his DNA being on the database he wouldn't have suffered the indignity of being hauled out of his home, handcuffed, and accused of a crime he had nothing to do with. Are you saying the kid should be happy that happened to him because somehow the Police having his DNA is of benefit in crime-solving? Quite the opposite. Them having his DNA made them suspect him just because his DNA was present at the scene. No other evidence, just his DNA. Wasted Police time and money, and possibly ongoing damage to the boy's reputation among his neighbours and possibly beyond, if there are any gossips among them.

 

Your right, the Police shouldn't have acted in this way. They were at fault in their procedure. It didn't warrant that action.

 

But where you say "accused of a crime he had nothing to do with", he had something to do with it, legally so, but a valid connection never the less.

[splodgeyAl]

"BUT just how likely is it for somebody else's DNA to match mine, unless I have a twin?"

 

The article quoted offers a 1 in a trillion chance of a false match assuming that all of the databasing has been carried out correctly, that, for example, Conrod's samples have been stored under the entry for Conrod, that they have not been duplicated by tired/bored lab operative begrudgingly processing their hungover workload. That psycho killer's sample has not been stored under Conrod's name, accidently, or even, god forbid, maliciously. And if Conrod's sample has been stored under the details of Psycho Killer a re-sample may not help you too much. Seems to me that the larger the database becomes the more likely it is that error will creep in.

True of any database that has, or will, ever exist.

[spooky3]

Does that in anyway change the fact that he was falsely accused, his home raided, him being dragged out of bed, handcuffed and paraded to a van infront of his peers?

 

You seem to be implying that you find this sort of thing acceptable?

 

I would say not, but each to their own.

 

See here...

 

Your right, the Police shouldn't have acted in this way. They were at fault in their procedure. It didn't warrant that action.

 

But where you say "accused of a crime he had nothing to do with", he had something to do with it, legally so, but a valid connection never the less.

[splodgeyAl]

I'm happy to swap one person's indignity for the chances that a potential multiple rapist or killer might be arrested after just one such crime.

 

Maybe I'm in the wrong for seeing it like that.

No maybe, you are wrong

 

By the way, I have some pixie dust that might help convict a potential rapist, too.

[spooky3]

True of any database that has, or will, ever exist.

 

Same for any system (see chaos theory), just consider society itself, hence the proposal of this as a solution.

[Magilla]

I'm happy to swap one person's indignity for the chances that a potential multiple rapist or killer might be arrested after just one such crime.

 

Maybe I'm in the wrong for seeing it like that.

 

Maybe, maybe not. If you're the one in the frame it may not seem quite so clear cut.

 

The best way to avoid such abuses though, is to simply keep your DNA to yourself.

[splodgeyAl]

Same for any system (see chaos theory), just consider society itself, hence the proposal of this as a solution.

I understand its proposal as a solution. I just don't agree that it is one.

[spooky3]

Maybe, maybe not. If you're the one in the frame it may not seem quite so clear cut.

 

The best way to avoid such abuses though, is to simply keep your DNA to yourself.

 

This abuse has always happened and is a separate issue to the DB itself.

[Obelix]

I can see it would be a waste of time discussing this any more with you.

 

Actually it's a reasonable assumption to make.

 

In the early 1930's people in Germany filled out the census forms without really worrying about the information that was given away.

 

In 1933 a jumped up corporal from Austria got himself into power and passed the Enabling Act as the Reichstag burned.

 

By the late 1930's they were going through the census records, finding all the ones with "Jude" ticked in the Religion section and stuffing them into ghettos...

 

It worries me a lot what they can do with a DNA database now -those with the *possibility* of genetic illnesses will find themselves less employable and find life cover difficult.

 

What worries me more is the unforseen and unexpected consequences of such a database in the future - which was the fate that befell Germany's Jewish population for filling out their census returns in all innocence...

[spooky3]

Actually it's a reasonable assumption to make.

 

In the early 1930's people in Germany filled out the census forms without really worrying about the information that was given away.

 

In 1933 a jumped up corporal from Austria got himself into power and passed the Enabling Act as the Reichstag burned.

 

By the late 1930's they were going through the census records, finding all the ones with "Jude" ticked in the Religion section and stuffing them into ghettos...

 

It worries me a lot what they can do with a DNA database now -those with the *possibility* of genetic illnesses will find themselves less employable and find life cover difficult.

 

What worries me more is the unforseen and unexpected consequences of such a database in the future - which was the fate that befell Germany's Jewish population for filling out their census returns in all innocence...

 

 

Many forms government or not include that question, virtually all include race questions. Quite a few ask for other sensitive information such as medical history and criminal records.