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Would a microchip keep your child safe?

well yes, undoubtedly these would help track children... of course, it also endangers the children, because these people will learn to be faster, and probably learn to remove the chips. my boss and i got into an argument about this a while back... i think the privacy issues far outweigh the potential benefit. i know that sounds like i'm willing to trade children's lives for a maybe, but i really think that these would be easily defeatable, whereas the privacy implications could be far more dangerous. I don't want criminals *or* the government able to track people, that itself could result in a lot more lives lost.

paul
 
Originally posted by Stelliform
I am certain that the technology will be developed regardless of what this developer thinks is ethical. And once the technology is developed, all that it will take will be sensational event for this technology to be put in use. (Like a parolee breaking parole and killing his accuser. If he was chipped his victim could have known he was out of his area heading her way....)

But I certainly wouldn't implant anything in my kids, unless they were at risk. However, when they hit driving age, I will be installing some sort of GPS monitoring system into the car they drive if I paid for that car. If they don't like it, they can get a job and buy their own car. :D
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Convicted criminals, I can see. Children, I can't. I just feel that implanting something into someone who is innocent, to "protect" them is ridiculous. Think about it, how long does it take to commit a crime? A criminal can do damage even before someone knows something is wrong.

Now, implanting something into a convicted criminal could possibly "protect" the innocent by keeping an eye on the person, but someone would have to be watching 24/7. Even if they're being watched constantly, they could still commit a crime if they really wanted to, it will just make it harder to away with it. So is that protecting someone?
 
Originally posted by Stelliform
Yes tagged criminals certainly could still commit crimes, but I am sure that any system monitoring parolees would be automatic, and probably tied into 911. So if their GPS leaves their allowed area, then warnings would pop up, and the police can go nab them.

A system like that would offer a greater level of protection than the current system.
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I agree with you that anything would be better than the current systems in place, but it can't protect everyone. Even if a criminal was forced to live in an area where their prior victims - or even in the same age group/gender of their prior victims - don't live, it's not possible to prevent them from entering the criminals area.

Hmm... an idea: build a gated community of criminals and not allow them to leave, or anyone else to enter. Like Australia was a "prison" to criminals from England a couple of centuries ago. (No offense intented for those in Australia :) )
 
I am going to just put in the religious aspect here, and say that most Christians should be opposed to any such microchip, such as this one, or one for groceries/credit cards, ID's et. al.

In the Book of Revelations the Bible makes reference to the 'Mark of the Beast', which includes a chip inserted under the skin, to be indentified with, or as a sort of credit card. The Bible warns Christians to never take the Mark of the Beast.

And for the record I do not know exactly where in the Book of Revelations that passage is, although if you are proficient in such reading I am sure you already know if the passage or know where to find it.
 
The Bible's not quite as specific as a chip or something implanted; if memory serves, it just says there will be a mark without which people won't be able to buy food or travel. Pretty broad, but even with biblical implications aside, this is still a frightening prospect.

Tagging criminals, fine--they've done something with (one assumes) the knowledge that the punishment includes tagging.

Tagging your kids because you're paranoid, that's just sick. It's like the ultimate form of using the TV as a baby sitter--I'm too lazy to actually keep an eye on my kids, and I fear the 0.01% chance that somebody would bother to kidnap them anyway, so I'm going to stick an electronic tracking chip in them so I won't have to pay attention--let technology do it for me.

No.

Reminds me of the Ben Franklin quite someone here has in their sig about those willing to give up freedom for safety deserving neither freedom nor safety.
 
i'm surprised to see so many people agree with me. when children come into play, our emotions take over, and often we lose sight of logic. I must also say that I am against the use of GPS or "black box" devices in teens' cars, because, at least with my parents, there was an inherent trust until I broke it somehow (and then I wouldn't have had a car, period). Also, I am against webcams in schools. Parents are more and more attached to their children, in ways that they never have been, and I don't think it's emotionally healthy for the parents *or* the children. Childhood and teenhood are times for the individual to learn to be more independent... Both GPS and webcams take that away. For the past centuries or decades, school has been a time of separation between parents and children, and cars have meant more independence for teenagers... It's a system that worked well. Now, parents want to be involved in too much, for too long.

The funniest thing is, I keep hearing (in articles, books, TV) about how distraught parents are to find that their adult children refuse to leave their house. Kids now live with their parents well into their '20s as a matter of regularity. Parents don't like it. Well, parents, perhaps if you would have let the kids have some independence, they would have the knowledge and experience necessary to leave the house at 18. You can't tell a kid what to do and think up until his 18th birthday, denying him trust, then expect him to go find a job, house, spouse, a life... it doesn't work that way.

My parents were obviously very liberal with me-- They did not read my mail, or censor my TV or reading, or forbid me to hang out with friends, or even (past a certain age) forbid me to make personal decisions about my body (such as piercing, drinking, etc). They did their best to teach me self-respect and responsibility, and when they felt it was appropriate, gave me leave to use those two abilities. As a side effect, I have one of the most open, comfortable, and honest relationships with my mother than anyone I know. The reason is simple: she never forced me to hide things from her, or fear her rejection.

paul
 
I could see that kind of thing being used by a controlling spouse, possibly preventing an abused spouse from being able to escape/seek help. In that way, it would be a very frightening tool for a spouse to have.
 
Originally posted by Makosuke
The Bible's not quite as specific as a chip or something implanted; if memory serves, it just says there will be a mark without which people won't be able to buy food or travel. Pretty broad, but even with biblical implications aside, this is still a frightening prospect.

Tagging criminals, fine--they've done something with (one assumes) the knowledge that the punishment includes tagging.

Tagging your kids because you're paranoid, that's just sick. It's like the ultimate form of using the TV as a baby sitter--I'm too lazy to actually keep an eye on my kids, and I fear the 0.01% chance that somebody would bother to kidnap them anyway, so I'm going to stick an electronic tracking chip in them so I won't have to pay attention--let technology do it for me.

No.
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Larry Burkett, founder and president of a non profit organization that teaches Biblical principles in managing money. He has a degree in managing and finance. Wrote a book called "The Illuminati," a fiction. About a group call Illiminati that that gains control of US finances. They used a Data-Net system track a person's every move. They put a person in the presidency. Unless you swear by this secret society you are unable to get a job, buy fuel, or food. It is done via a master computer. The story about Christians that form an underground alliance to fight the society. A warning a government control over our lives.

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/0785275290/ref=nosim/growinglifestyle/104-4646057-7433501?dev-t=D1Y109MDH68LKO%26camp=2025%26link_code=xm2
 
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Originally posted by paulwhannel
Parents are more and more attached to their children, in ways that they never have been, and I don't think it's emotionally healthy for the parents *or* the children. Childhood and teenhood are times for the individual to learn to be more independent...
<snip>
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wow. please tell my patents that. i go to my next door neighbor's house, and they give me a time to come back and check in with them, i can't even go around my neighborhood at night, and not to mention the fact that they completely over hype everything.

but i can't complain:rolleyes:
:p
 
It's just like....

It's just like telling victims of burglary that the should have fitted better locks or that they should expect to be burgaled if they have objects of desire.

The group of people who lobby for human chip implants have either invested in the technology or have trouble with the idea of a human punishing another human.

Criminal actions should have higher risks attatched rather than greater obstacles.

Soon we will all be victims of crime when our freedom is taken from us with enforced tagging.
Some people don't see that a few innocent criminals now will never outway the great number of innocent victims we already have today.

I love liberal ideals, but this world is going to the P.C. version of hell thanks to a bunch of insane people who find it hard to swallow the idea of a few innocents dying/being punished by mistaken justice, they would be quite happy for any old casual murderer to be securely "hotelled" and as long as the embeded serial numbers all add up, we'll all be laughing, think of how much paper work we would have had before crime detection was computerised.

Soon, we won't even have to go to a police station to report a mugging, they'll already have the serial numbers and will be crediting your account with the insurance money and health care credits. ...you did pay your insurance didn't you? ...one moment citizen, I'll just take your serial number....
 
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