Microchipping kids, yay or nay?

[BellaRisa]

This morning I got into a slightly heated debate with one of my partners about having my dog microchipped; the idiot Shamwow is a purebred and we're driving from Ohio to VT with him later this summer, and I like the idea of being able to track him should he be lost or stolen. My partner was very against the ' non-necessary invasive procedure' (this from someone with a circumsized son ) and asked if I'd ever have my children microchipped. Um...I'd never thought about it, but the idea of being able to track my little girls should they be kidnapped does appeal to me as a mom. I know I know, the Matrix, stay off the grid, yadda yadda...and my guy said something about the Mark of the Beast in Revelations (what)...but the idea of my baby being snatched leaves an icy cold finger on my heart and a chip doesn't sound quite so 1984/Brave New World in that case...

What do you think of kids being microchipped? (and dogs for that matter)?

 

[venray]

I Couldnt do it unless they had the option to safely remove it once they are of legal age.....

I dont think I should make a decision that could affect their adult lives like that....

As for pets.....I also dont see a need....pets should be under control of their owners and not allowed to roam free...

 

[Artoo]

Ideally, I'm against the idea.

The same technology used to track your children in the case of them being abducted could also be used by other parties who want to track your children for their own ends.

But I can appreciate where you're coming from, as a parent.

 

[TMF Jeff]

Ideally, I'm against the idea.

The same technology used to track your children in the case of them being abducted could also be used by other parties who want to track your children for their own ends.

But I can appreciate where you're coming from, as a parent.

This would be my concern too, who else could use that chip as a locator. Someday will there be Google Kids to go with Google Street?

 

[BellaRisa]

As for pets.....I also dont see a need....pets should be under control of their owners and not allowed to roam free...

While I agree with you, dogs are snatched all the time from the best and most responsible owners; it only takes a second to accidentally drop the leash or for it to slip from your hand if your pet takes off after another dog or something; heck they even get stolen from safe fenced-in yards, especially purebreds.

 

[BellaRisa]

This would be my concern too, who else could use that chip as a locator. Someday will there be Google Kids to go with Google Street?

Yah, I agree about 98.9% and I'd never actually do it. It's just...ugh, the idea of one of my little girls being in the hands of some psycho...I wonder if I'd regret it if they could have tracked her but we didn't get the damn chip...

 

[gluestick]

I also wonder if it could endanger the kid. Microchip implementation would probably be in a standard spot. So say if your kid has a microchip embedded in their finger I think a psycho would have no trouble lopping it off to avoid being detected.

 

[BellaRisa]

AAAHHH

I also wonder if it could endanger the kid. Microchip implementation would probably be in a standard spot. So say if your kid has a microchip embedded in their finger I think a psycho would have no trouble lopping it off to avoid being detected.

Didn't have my bad dream for tonight lined up yet, thanks dude!

 

[Dussicar]

Ideally, I'm against the idea.

The same technology used to track your children in the case of them being abducted could also be used by other parties who want to track your children for their own ends.

And that's the thing I can't get past. Hell, I can definately see congress passing a bill to keep those chips implanted by law after the child matures for the "protection and sanctity of all good law abiding citizens" otherwise known as the "corporate lobbyist groups who gave our party buttloads of money in campaign contributions act."

There has already been heated debates as to whether it can be allowed for heads of businesses to be able to use their employees cell phones to track their whereabouts when they are not in the office...From what I hear, some do it anyway.

Had we lived in an idealic(sp?) and responsible society, then I would definately say yes. We don't, however.

In this day and age, if there is a tool that can be abused by those who have entirely too much power to begin with, then I will personally veto it on basic principle.

I hate to say it, but I'll give us ten years or, perhapse a bit longer before something like this DOES become mandatory.

 

[Redmage]

If you're talking about RFID, then anyone with a standard reader could sit in a car along a school route and read the names, addresses, and personal information of every child that walked by within about 30 feet.

This sounds like a bad idea to me.

 

[Lord Doctor]

I has it's pros and cons, like anything else.

It's more that there is potentially the necessity for it that bothers me. In some ways, we're already more than half way there. Phones can already be used in such a way. Perhaps a chip in a shoe or earings? Less invasive.

Every piece of technology is misused by someone, in some way.

In other words, I really don't know if I agree with this or not.

 

[TMF Jeff]

I had a friend who was submissive to her husband, and they considered having her wear a tracking bracelet. I don't know how obnoxious or intrusive those are, but it might be a decent alternative to an implant.

 

[LD_Tickler]

The idea of being microchipped absolutely disgusts me. I can see the wisdom of it for an infant, but even for a pre-teen, I see it as a message communicating suspicion and a lack of trust between parent and child.

I'm trying to imagine being 17 again, out with my friends, knowing that my parents are monitoring my whereabouts. The very thought makes me furious. My parents might as well keep me on a leash, or have me followed. It would stunt, if not tear down, internal growth and independence, instead keeping me tied to them as though I were still a baby.

I don't even oppose it on the grounds that others might access to the information. If they made a microchip that was 101% secure I'd still be utterly revolted by that concept.

but for a dog? go for it 😎

 

[BellaRisa]

The idea of being microchipped absolutely disgusts me. I can see the wisdom of it for an infant, but even for a pre-teen, I see it as a message communicating suspicion and a lack of trust between parent and child.

I'm trying to imagine being 17 again, out with my friends, knowing that my parents are monitoring my whereabouts. The very thought makes me furious. My parents might as well keep me on a leash, or have me followed. It would stunt, if not tear down, internal growth and independence, instead keeping me tied to them as though I were still a baby.

I don't even oppose it on the grounds that others might access to the information. If they made a microchip that was 101% secure I'd still be utterly revolted by that concept.

but for a dog? go for it 😎

Let me say, even parents who are for microchipping tend to mean kids under 14 or so, usually in the 2-12 yr old range, in case they get stolen on the way home from school or something along those lines; I've yet to hear anyone mean a late teen.

 

[LD_Tickler]

Let me say, even parents who are for microchipping tend to mean kids under 14 or so, usually in the 2-12 yr old range, in case they get stolen on the way home from school or something along those lines; I've yet to hear anyone mean a late teen.

I would have resented it as soon as I was old enough to feel resentment.

I can understand babies and toddlers - children that actually can't take care of themselves at all. Maybe they spend all day away from their parents at daycare. If a parent feels uncomfortable with that, I can understand it.

But honestly, around say, 8 or 9 years I star to have some serious issues with that idea.

 

[Snail Shell]

As long as the chip is only activated to track the child if they do indeed go missing, then yes, go ahead.

Now, if said chip can also deliver a mild electrical current to correct poor behaviour, where's the petition and would you like me to help collect signatures? 😀

Snail Shell

 

[BellaRisa]

As long as the chip is only activated to track the child if they do indeed go missing, then yes, go ahead.

Now, if said chip can also deliver a mild electrical current to correct poor behaviour, where's the petition and would you like me to help collect signatures? 😀

Snail Shell

Dude, you know what I do for a living, don't start me

 

[BellaRisa]

I would have resented it as soon as I was old enough to feel resentment.

I can understand babies and toddlers - children that actually can't take care of themselves at all. Maybe they spend all day away from their parents at daycare. If a parent feels uncomfortable with that, I can understand it.

But honestly, around say, 8 or 9 years I star to have some serious issues with that idea.

Really? I have an 8 yr old. I'm trying to picture her resenting something that made it easier for the Good Guys to find her if the Bad Guys stole her (using her logic). Now a 12-13 yr old I can see being annoyed, but younger than that I imagine they'd just feel safer. I'll ask when my two get home from school, I'm curious how they'd feel

 

[kis123]

As a parent of now adult children, I only wished this technology would've been made available to me during my son's adolescence. Many of you disagree with it, but if you had to live my nightmare out, you'd at least consider it.

From the ages of 13-17 my son's adolsecence was a nightmare to my entire family along with about three social agencies. He had severe OCD and a complete inability to control his impulses and temper. In other words, any negative emotions provoked him to horrific tantrums, running away, and shoplifting. The tantrums included running to his then high school, picking up what amounted to a boulder, and breaking in the school glass doors....twice! The second round, he was nearly expelled by a system that had nothing in place for problematic children who were mentally handicapped. This left me in the dubious position to handle things myself. I did the best I could...that is until I had that pesky nervous breakdown and ended up sending my daughter to live with her father (something I'm still getting the fallout from). This was what I had to endure for over four years until he finally screwed up enough to land in a group home. I would've given my right arm for a microchip. When you're up until 2am wondering where your child is and being totally responsible for whatever he/she does while they're in the streets, you'd consider microchipping or any damn thing else you can get your hands on.

What I'm going to say next I'm sure will spark some controversy, but I'm basing this on my personal life experience. My experiences are not exclusive to me, but I doubt I'll get much back up. I personally believe that minors do NOT have any rights. That's right folks, kis said it out loud, and here's why. When that "minor" child can do whatever they want and have no responsibility or accountability in the public realm, they get no "rights" in my home. You have no idea how many times my son's antics were blamed on me. Where was I when he was wreaking havoc in about three counties? I was at work (when I didn't get fired or have to quit to go home and take care of him). I was trying to take care of my other child until the weight of his behavior became too heavy for her to endure. All sorts of "social service" agencies said I was exaggerating his problems in order to get rid of him. But no one had this crap going on in their homes and they got to go home to peace at the end of the day. If a microchip would've made tracking and finding him easier, than so be it. I look back almost seven years later and know exactly just how lucky and blessed I am that I didn't have to bury him; things were just that bad. On a much positive note, the group home was the perfect place for him. He'll be 24 this August, lives independently (with supervisiory agency assistance), works everyday and is a happy guy. I couldn't be prouder of him.

I firmly believe that if a person doesn't deal with the responsibilities and accountability of life, they don't deserve the rights and freedoms. There should be extra burden placed on them, or it doesn't encourage change. If you want your privacy and the right to come and go as you please, you have to follow laws and social acceptances, plain and simple.

Before I get jumped, I don't subscribe to child abuse or iron-fisted autocracy. I believe that respect of their lives is paramount for a healthy upbringing. But that child does NOT have free will run of the home; children are children, not little adults and they have their place in the family structure. Our biggest problem in society today is that we've placed the children way too high in the family hierarchy. Children need love, structure, and discipline (when needed); all of that is love and not just giving in to every wish and whim they want or a Dr Spock mentality towards childrearing. Many complain how and why children have gotten so "bad" in society today. If you want an answer, check on what's going on in many homes today; the children are running things and parents are afraid. A microchip is the LEAST of our problems IMO.

I do NOT feel the process should be made mandatory; I believe unless the child is in severe crisis, the parent's choice should always be first. Let the kid get it removed at age 18; if the government refuses I'm sure by then there'll be doctors who'll remove it in the name of free speech or with a few bucks. As far as the child molesters are concerned, encrypt the chip where only law enforcement can read it. Hell we can make this work for those who are interested and would want/need this for their children.

Sorry for the lengthly reply folks, but felt it the only way to explain my position.

*gets off soapbox and waits for the tomatoes*

 

[LD_Tickler]

Kis, it sounds like you've raised enough issues to hash the discussion out a bit more.

In cases of delinquency and lawlessness, governments can use tracking technology - ankle bracelets and all that. As part of a correctional or judicial system, I would accept that sort of thing. When you break laws you lose freedoms, that's the name of the game. That's what prison is based on. So I agree with you there.

But for parents to privately microchip their kids if they want to? I'd never accept that. In the sort of case you outlined, the situation is severe enough for the law to be involved, so again, I could be open to a legal system using those techniques. Nothing else, though.

 

[kis123]

Kis, it sounds like you've raised enough issues to hash the discussion out a bit more.

In cases of delinquency and lawlessness, governments can use tracking technology - ankle bracelets and all that. As part of a correctional or judicial system, I would accept that sort of thing. When you break laws you lose freedoms, that's the name of the game. That's what prison is based on. So I agree with you there.

But for parents to privately microchip their kids if they want to? I'd never accept that. In the sort of case you outlined, the situation is severe enough for the law to be involved, so again, I could be open to a legal system using those techniques. Nothing else, though.

I would privately microchip my kid and they can be mad at me until their 18th birthday. Until then, they're actions are my responsiblity, plain and simple. Here are a few reasons why

-two children burn down a science lab in an OH school because they were getting back at a teacher. Who gets to pay for the $100,000 of damages? Their parents of course.

-we just dealt with the Columbine tragedy; who do you think paid out the lawsuits filed by the victims? Maybe the school covered some, but in the bottom line, the parents of course.

-who do you think was held responsible for over $2000 worth of property damage when my son did his dirt? That's right, me.

We can't be everywhere all the time and our children don't always behave in public as at home. At least when something bad goes down, I could be able to prove my child was/was not there when it happened.

I'm all about rights, but when it comes to children their rights are limited to my level of responsibility. God forbid should your children's shenanigans ever land on your doorstep you'll remember my words and only wish a microchip was your only concern.

 

[StevePerry4Ever]

Oh, and the mark of the Beast thing, it's basically a prophesied "mark" that is on the head or hand that will be mandatory for everyone in the future. Int he book o Revelations, Christians (or anyone) are warned not to receive the mark though there will be severe penalties for refusing it. It will make you accepted into society and some think able to be tracked. This is all taking place while the world is under the leadership of the anti-Christ and has a one world currency and all that fun end times stuff. All lot of people think that the "mark" is going to be a mandatory microchip that will be implanted and that John, the guy who wrote revelation, didn't call it that because, well, he wrote it about 1900 years ago... not a lot of microchips around. Here's a site that tells more about it.

http://www.markbeast.com/

 

[Artoo]

Oh, and the mark of the Beast thing, it's basically a prophesied "mark" that is on the head or hand that will be mandatory for everyone in the future. Int he book o Revelations, Christians (or anyone) are warned not to receive the mark though there will be severe penalties for refusing it. It will make you accepted into society and some think able to be tracked. This is all taking place while the world is under the leadership of the anti-Christ and has a one world currency and all that fun end times stuff. All lot of people think that the "mark" is going to be a mandatory microchip that will be implanted and that John, the guy who wrote revelation, didn't call it that because, well, he wrote it about 1900 years ago... not a lot of microchips around. Here's a site that tells more about it.

http://www.markbeast.com/

I can't help but think it's a load of baloney, to be honest.

 

[Sanhael]

This morning I got into a slightly heated debate with one of my partners about having my dog microchipped; the idiot Shamwow is a purebred and we're driving from Ohio to VT with him later this summer, and I like the idea of being able to track him should he be lost or stolen. My partner was very against the ' non-necessary invasive procedure' (this from someone with a circumsized son ) and asked if I'd ever have my children microchipped. Um...I'd never thought about it, but the idea of being able to track my little girls should they be kidnapped does appeal to me as a mom. I know I know, the Matrix, stay off the grid, yadda yadda...and my guy said something about the Mark of the Beast in Revelations (what)...but the idea of my baby being snatched leaves an icy cold finger on my heart and a chip doesn't sound quite so 1984/Brave New World in that case...

What do you think of kids being microchipped? (and dogs for that matter)?

I think it's a little paranoid, given the restriction on freedom it provides and the level of intrusiveness it entails. Your children are not likely to be kidnapped, abducted, or molested in any way; I would think that teaching them to say no to strangers, to not answer the door while you're not at home (or otherwise preoccupied), to not accept gifts or rides, and so forth, is enough to ensure their safety.

It could happen. It could happen no matter what precautions you're taking; if this chip is located somewhere that doesn't require major surgery to access it, consider the danger your children are suddenly in if they are abducted by somebody who knows where the chip is... or how to find it; if it's traceable by the government, it's traceable by anybody who knows how to trace it.

Tell your children to look both ways before crossing the street, because drivers don't always see them (and won't always bother looking), but don't resort to extreme measures for something that's about as likely to happen as a volcano suddenly rising up in your backyard (there are millions, and millions, and millions of children living in the US; the number of kidnappings we read about in the news on an annual basis would be, what, a dozen at the most?)

 

[kis123]

I think it's a little paranoid, given the restriction on freedom it provides and the level of intrusiveness it entails. Your children are not likely to be kidnapped, abducted, or molested in any way; I would think that teaching them to say no to strangers, to not answer the door while you're not at home (or otherwise preoccupied), to not accept gifts or rides, and so forth, is enough to ensure their safety.

It could happen. It could happen no matter what precautions you're taking; if this chip is located somewhere that doesn't require major surgery to access it, consider the danger your children are suddenly in if they are abducted by somebody who knows where the chip is... or how to find it; if it's traceable by the government, it's traceable by anybody who knows how to trace it.

Tell your children to look both ways before crossing the street, because drivers don't always see them (and won't always bother looking), but don't resort to extreme measures for something that's about as likely to happen as a volcano suddenly rising up in your backyard (there are millions, and millions, and millions of children living in the US; the number of kidnappings we read about in the news on an annual basis would be, what, a dozen at the most?)

It's really obvious that you don't have children.

You can teach until you turn blue; when the actual situation presents itself many times teaching and logic go out the window when that puppy appears in the park. Or if someone's trying to get into the home when mom and dad aren't there the perpetrator can get pretty creative. Once again, children are not little adults; their cognition, logic, and reasoning aren't mature enough to deal with a crafty adult that wants your kid.

I don't subscribe to mandatory anything, but if that parent wants their child microchipped, I won't fault them for it either.