PackerGrL's Blog

This act is a wolf in sheep's clothing. The name of the act itself sounds great but if this act goes through it will be an invasion of your DNA property rights. The bill also violates research ethics and the Nuremberg Code.

According to Twila Brase, the President of Citizens' Council on Health Care, "Already, in Minnesota, the state health department reports that 42,210 children of the 780,000 whose DNA is housed in the Minnesota "DNA warehouse" have been subjected to genetic research without their parent's knowledge or consent."

Where I can understand why they would want to screen newborns (or adults) for certain hereditable disorders this could lead to trouble in the future. Once they have access to your DNA and the power to do what they want with it who knows what could happen? Will your insurance claims be declined because, according to your genes, you might have this pre-existing condition? Will you get denied a job because, according to your genes, you might have physical, emotional, or other problem? It's not like you can appeal it because your genes don't lie. Or do they? Oh and did I mention that this DNA databank will be available online? I am nervous about hackers as it is now my DNA or my future children's DNA will be out there on the Internet. Hmm...

The bill also mentions the benefit of counseling or other educational opportunities which is a good idea. Researchers may not be able to find cures without it. But can't they do that with the consent of the parents or person instead of just deciding they are going to take the sample, put it in their DNA databank and do what they wish.

A person's DNA should be their DNA. So where I can't say that nothing good has ever come from studying DNA we are coming to the point where we may be crossing the line soon.

I joke sometimes that won't it be nice to have a baby come with an instruction manual and, you know if bills like these pass maybe that will become a reality someday. Your baby could be screened and the doctors could tell you from day one that you should do certain things for your baby so that certain heritable disorders might not occur. Where's the fun and mystery in that? Can't we just lead our lives and if something happens then we'll deal with it when it happens.

Don't get me wrong, again, humans have done great things to expand their life expectancy using DNA and other methods and I'm grateful for that BUT this bill is not the answer. They need to re-write and/or re-think this bill.