Arrested? Give Up Some DNA

Effective January 9, 2009, all persons arrested for a Federal crime and all noncitizens arrested in the U.S. will be required to give a DNA sample to the authorities.

Congress authorized the expansion in 2005, citing the power of DNA as a tool in crime solving and prevention.

The change could add as many as 1.2 million people a year to the national database, U.S. officials said. Supporters equate DNA collection to taking fingerprints or photographs at the time of booking.

Others of us see this an extention of the invasion of privacy and loss of individual rights we have witnessed in recent years. Big Brother is not only watching but is marking your genetic material for future reference.

U.S. officials said that probable cause that a person has committed a crime or indications that he is an illegal immigrant subject to removal from the country are appropriate standards for collecting DNA.

And the Constitutional presumption of innocence is thrown out the window.

Peace.