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Lawmakers 1 step closer
to owning newborns' DNA
'What good is the privacy law
if government warehouses data?'

The state of Minnesota has advanced a plan to own the DNA of newborns, preserving it in a warehouse for use in genetic research, experimentation, manipulation, and profiling, according to an advocacy organization seeking to protect the privacy of that individual information.

"Citizen DNA is citizen property. The government should be required to ask, not allowed to take," said Twila Brase, president of the Citizens' Council on Health Care, a Minnesota-based organization familiar with the progress in that state.

"If this bill becomes law, each year 73,000 newborn citizens will not be protected by the state genetic privacy law. The [state] will take their DNA and unless the parents figure it out, the government will keep it," she said.

"Children grow up. Eventually, every citizen will have their DNA owned by state government and available for government to engage in genetic research, experimentation, manipulation, and profiling," she warned. "What good is the state genetic privacy law if government warehousing and analysis of every child's DNA from birth is exempt from its informed consent protections?"

In Minnesota, the state's genetic privacy law was challenged by the Health Department, which lost a court battle over the issue. But now the legislation could give the state government by legislative activism what it could not obtain through the judiciary.

Brase said the state House voted this week to approve the plan forwarded by the state Senate. "If the Senate accepts the minor amendments adopted by the House without a conference committee, the bill could be sent directly to Gov. [Tim] Pawlenty for his signature."

The legislative specifically would exempt warehousing, use and analysis of newborn blood and DNA from the informed consent requirements of the 2006 Minnesota Genetic Privacy Law.

WND reported earlier on protests from Brase over the legislative plan.

"We now are considered guinea pigs, as opposed to human beings with rights," she said, warning such DNA databases could spark the next wave of demands for eugenics, the concept of improving the human race through the control of various inherited traits. Margaret Sanger, founder of Planned Parenthood, advocated eugenics to cull people she considered unfit from the population.

In 1921, she said eugenics is "the most adequate and thorough avenue to the solution of racial, political and social problems," and she later lamented "the ever increasing, unceasingly spawning class of human beings who never should have been born at all."

Minnesota already has stockpiled the DNA of more than 780,000 Minnesota children, and already has subjected the DNA of 42,210 children to research without their consent or knowledge, Brase told WND.

And she confirmed although her organization works with Minnesota issues, similar laws or rules and regulations already are in use across the nation.

The National Conference of State Legislatures, in fact, lists for all 50 states as well as the District of Columbia the various statutes or regulatory provisions under which newborns' DNA is being collected.

Such programs are offered as "screening" requirements to detect treatable illnesses. They vary as to exactly what tests are done, but the Health Resources and Services Administration has requested a report that would "include a recommendation for a uniform panel of conditions."

Further, Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., is on record proposing a plan that would turn the program into a consolidated nationwide effort.

"Fortunately," he said at the time, "some newborn screening occurs in every state but fewer than half of the states, including Connecticut, actually test for all disorders that are detectable. … This legislation will provide resources for states to expand their newborn screening programs…"

So what's the big deal about looking into DNA to hunt for various disease possibilities?

Nothing, said Brase, if that's where the hunt would end.

However, she said, "researchers already are looking for genes related to violence, crime and different behaviors."

"This isn't just about diabetes, asthma and cancer," she said. "It's also about behavioral issues."

"In England they decided they should have doctors looking for problem children, and have those children reported, and their DNA taken in case they would become criminals," she said.

In fact, published reports in the UK note that senior police forensics experts believe genetic samples should be studied, because it may be possible to identify potential criminals as young as age 5.

There, Chris Davis of the National Primary Headteachers' Association warned the move could be seen "as a step towards a police state."

Brase said such efforts to study traits and gene factors and classify people would be just the beginning. What could happen through subsequent programs to address such conditions, she wondered.

"Not all research is great," she said. Such classifying of people could lead to "discrimination and prejudice … People can look at data about you and make assessments ultimately of who you are."

The Heartland Regional Genetics and Newborn Screening is one of the organizations that advocates more screening and research.

It proclaims in its vision statement a desire to see newborns screened for 200 conditions. It also forecasts "every student … with an individual program for education based on confidential interpretation of their family medical history, their brain imaging, their genetic predictors of best learning methods…"

Further, every individual should share information about "personal and family health histories" as well as "gene tests for recessive conditions and drug metabolism" with the "other parent of their future children."

Still further, it seeks "ecogenetic research that could improve health, lessen disability, and lower costs for sickness."

"They want to test every child for 200 conditions, take the child's history and a brain image, and genetics, and come up with a plan for that child," Brase said. "They want to learn their weaknesses and defects.

"Nobody including and especially the government should be allowed to create such extensive profiles," she said.

The next step is obvious: The government, with information about potential health weaknesses, could say to couples, "We don't want your expensive children," Brase said.

"I think people have forgotten about eugenics. The fact of the matter is that the eugenicists have not gone away. Newborn genetic testing is the entry into the 21st Century version of eugenics," she said.

"This is in every state, but nobody is talking about it. Parents have no idea this is happening," she said.

My girlfriend had a little boy 4 months ago in NY. Without the knowledge of her or her husband the State of NY did genetic testing and called her at her home, telling her to her horror, that her son had the propensity for Muscular Sclerosis. Though they protested, because they gave no permission for such testing, she was contacted and threatened by the NY Health Dept. that if they didn't submit the child to further tests they could lose custody to the State of NY, who were only worried about the child's 'quality of life.'

She and her husband are both in the health industry. She's an RN, he's a nurse practitioner. They are still horrified, and have 4 other healthy children with no history of this disease in either side of their families. This is the first time they're aware of this kind of testing.

Surely, we're entering into the New World Order!

Edited to say it was Cystic Fibrosis - not Muscular Sclerosis

UM? - It sure does sound like BIG BROTHER is getting out of control in many areas. I think we are watching a quick march toward the End Days of this Age of Grace. We should all know that things are going to get much worse. However, we must remember that we have RIGHTS in this part of the world, and we should stand up for them. This is not a DICTATORSHIP - YET!

I hope that nobody misunderstands what I'm saying. We should also be praying. Let me give an analogy that will help to explain my thoughts. You are standing on the railroad tracks with a train coming: what do you do?  1)  Pray that GOD stops the train OR   2)  Get off the tracks.

Things are happening in this part of the world that are illegally and Unconstitutionally  removing our rights and degrading the quality of Christian life. YES - we should be praying about these things, but there are also things that we should be doing for ourselves. We live in a part of the world where we can and should STAND UP because it is OUR GOVERNMENT - a GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE. There are many things we should be praying about, but we shouldn't be sitting in the corner with our hands in our pockets doing NOTHING! This would be like us praying for GOD to give us some food but us being unwilling to walk a block and go get it. We aren't helpless, and we should NOT act helpless. I hope this explains what I was trying to say. Bluntly - let's do our part and not sit on our hands. We can pray that GOD will help us, and WE CERTAINLY SHOULD!

Love In Christ,
Tom

 

I know what you're saying, Brother Tom.

Things are changing and I believe they're changing so fast it's hard for people to adjust. When my friend called me with their situation I had recommended they contact the ACLJ (Jay Sekulow's American Center for Law and Justice), which I thought could point them in the right direction. But they, up until the call from the Health Dept., had refused to go thru anymore testing and told the 'genetic counselers' that contacted them that they were believing God for their son's health and felt no need for further testing. But they just had happened to have a harrowing 2 years before this event, and unfortuanately, because of exhaustion and overwhelming previous circumstances, couldn't take anymore and gave in to the government demands.

I think as Christians, we need to pray for strength for ourselves and one another, knowing hard times are coming. These days will be the true test of our faith, and as much as we believe we can handle hard times in theory, it seems we're not prepared in real life when it hits us between the eyes. Many are not able to handle the changes and afraid to face consequences (which I can imagine when it involves a 4 month child). But I do agree, we need to steel ourselves for some legal 'fights' to come, while things are changing at such 'breakneck' speed. It is a new world we're facing and I think we need to adjust and be ready for unusual infringments on our rights! They are coming fast and strong.

I guess we need to keep up with world events and compare that with prophecy and take strength from God's Word and His promises! I do feel bad that many are not aware, because of the busy-ness of life, of the rapid changes around the world, even though there is hardly anyone that isn't feeling that change!

How do we help others to adjust? We pray for them to gain strength and that they're enabled to see things as they really are - and not as they're portrayed on the TV news.

Hello Sister Barbara and All,

We should all know that there are many reasons why GOD gave us PROPHECY in the pages of the Holy Bible. One reason is to provide PROOF that the Bible is True and HIS WORD. HE also used it as PROOF that HE IS GOD! I know that it's impossible for us to understand all Bible Prophecy perfectly, but we can understand enough to watch, wait, and know that our time to Distribute GOD'S WORD is limited. We should have always known that the time for the lost to ACCEPT THE FREE GIFT OF GOD is limited. First, we never know when this short life will end. Second, GOD has a Time Table that was set before the foundation of HIS CREATION!

As Christians, Bible Prophecy should encourage us and provide motivation to yield to GOD'S Use. We've seen the PROOF that all previous Bible Prophecy has been fulfilled perfectly, so we should know that all Bible Prophecy pertaining to the future will also be fulfilled perfectly. There is GREAT TERROR in Bible Prophecy for those who have rejected GOD. As a total contrast, there is GREAT JOY in Bible Prophecy for Christians. We also have the Promises of GOD. We don't know how many hard times we will face in this short life before GOD takes us HOME, but we do know about our ETERNITY WITH CHRIST! I'm firmly convinced that a Christian's part is to pray, work, and yield for GOD'S USE until the last moment. We can and should Trust GOD for all the rest. WE SHOULD KNOW THAT GOD WILL COMPLETE ALL OF HIS PROMISES PERFECTLY!

Love In Christ,
Tom

Romans 8:16-23
The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us. For the earnest expectation of the creature waiteth for the manifestation of the sons of God. For the creature was made subject to vanity, not willingly, but by reason of him who hath subjected the same in hope, Because the creature itself also shall be delivered from the bondage of corruption into the glorious liberty of the children of God. For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain together until now. And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.