Compulsory DNA database.

DNA Testing? What's the problem?

I am amazed at the hypocrisy showed by some people regarding Compulsory DNA Sampling and a National Database.

One person even said he would; "..never allow the state to take a sample of my DNA" and yet in the very next line he says; "...I have never committed a criminal offence and nor do I intend to...!" So, if or when mass DNA sampling becomes law then this person is prepared to flout it. Is that not having criminal intent?

Furthermore, his statement about himself never having ever committed a criminal offence, nor ever intending to, could have been quoted in all honesty by 100% of the criminal population at some time in their lives. Including such people as Doctors' Crippen and Shipman or Myra Hindley and Ian Brady. The Black Panther (Donald Neilson or Jack The Ripper and the Yorkshire one too and even Adolf Hitler along with Stalin.

Each of the aforementioned were completely innocent of crime or criminal thoughts early on in their respective lives. That is why I would like to see DNA samples taken at birth and kept on a database.

For anyone to suggest that because a person hasn't had and doesn't have criminal thoughts - it is no guarantee that they will always be so innocent.

Octogenarians have been known to commit criminal acts that would appear to be completely out of character. On the other hand Thompson and Venables (UK) were only children when they committed their horrific deed and it is possible that in some other time - before CCTV say - they might have got away with it. But had their DNA profile been on record they would have found it more difficult - if not impossible - to dodge justice.

A few may make the suggestion that in some cases donors wishing to thwart the system could send on a sub in their place. Just how this would work in practice I do not know. It would have to be some right idiot (has has been the case in the past) who would volunteer to provide what would be a 2nd sample of his/her DNA in someone else' name as this would be bound to show up on the Database as being identical to his/her own. Bells would ring 'cos this is just not possible unless he is maybe one of identical twins and so he/she may be in deep trouble with the law.

The only REAL way that we will tackle crime - ANY CRIME! - is if we as a people are subjected to having our DNA profiles on a national database. This database would also encompass transient visitors and those awaiting induction for whatever reason.

Whether the crime be it murder, rape, fly-tipping or chewing gum dropping - the DNA profiling will, to a very large extent, lead straight to the guilty. Dropped chewing gum or a cigarette butt will be as full of the DNA of the user as would the clothing of a rape victim or a fly-tipped mattress. Think how much that fact alone would contribute to the cleaning up of our streets and shopping malls.

Let's not keep pussyfooting on this issue. The advantages of such an initiative, far outweigh the disadvantages. Try putting this suggestion to a public opinion vote. I know where most of the people I have spoken to would put their crosses.

So come on you doubters. For every case for disadvantage of DNA profiling there must be a thousand and one advantages (identifying flood and fire victims etc). If we as a people are ever to get the upper-hand over the criminal we need a complete and up-to-date DNA Database.

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