Yesterday was an interesting day. It snowed. I donated some DNA to the bone marrow registry. What is this thing? Well, you donate some DNA, like cheek swabs and give them your contact information. They type your DNA and keep it on record. When someone (like a leukaemia patient) needs a bone marrow transplant, they type his DNA and scan it against the library. When they find a match, they call up the person involved and ask him if he wants to make a donation. Donating bone marrow is a surgical process, and not quite as easy as donating blood. But lives can be saved because of this. Read Chamaree’s blog for more details.
The other side of it is that my DNA is available on record forever. I am not sure that this database will not be available for forensic purposes. And in this day where the previously rigid line between law enforcement and security is becoming rather blurred, we cannot say who will do what with al this data being amassed. Hence, as C put it to me, if I end up raping and/or killing anyone, I have pretty much had it. And as my office mate Pieter puts it (he also registered), ‘got to turn over a new leaf, got to leave the life of murder and mayhem behind.’
The other side of it is that my DNA is available on record forever. I am not sure that this database will not be available for forensic purposes. And in this day where the previously rigid line between law enforcement and security is becoming rather blurred, we cannot say who will do what with al this data being amassed. Hence, as C put it to me, if I end up raping and/or killing anyone, I have pretty much had it. And as my office mate Pieter puts it (he also registered), ‘got to turn over a new leaf, got to leave the life of murder and mayhem behind.’
No comments:
Post a Comment