DNA Database

Shadow Home Secretary David Davis rejected calls on Sunday for a national DNA database despite the fact that the existing database had helped to catch two high profile murderers - Mark Dixie and Steve Wright.

I found two writers who took completley different views on the subject.

Simon Carr of the Independent was against the idea, suggesting that the public would be giving control of their lives to the State, 'The more rights, access, opportunities, the state distributes, the more responsibilities it's allowed to impose. That's the way it works'. http://www.independent.co.uk/opinion/commentators/simon-carr/simon-carr-who-cares-about-private-life-any-more-786787.html

In the opposite corner, I found David Aaronovitch of the Times, who felt that giving away this small liberty would be worth capturing many more serious criminals, 'As to innocence, well most of us are innocent. But Lloyd's family never suspected him of rape, Wright's wife was sure he couldn't be a murderer, and Dixie's friends had not an inkling of his capacity for extreme sexual violence. There has never yet been a would-be bomber whose family didn't proclaim his normality'.
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/david_aaronovitch/article3434198.ece

Aaronovitch was totally for the DNA database and, having read the comments of Carr just two minutes before, I found it interesting how two people could have such wildly differing views. In fact, having read both blogs, I found it hard to make up my own mind on the issue.

I also found it intersting that neither commentator took the opportunity to use the situation to attack any of the political parties.