Assignment 3B- part 1

I think for any parent that has lost sight of their child for even a brief moment the idea of implanting a microchip/GPS unit seems like a life saver, literally, but what are the implications? Also, I must admit that after decades of parenting I think the tracking of teens may be more beneficial, statistically, than tracking preschoolers. There could also be great uses for those lost in storms, say post hurricane Katrina, where it took forever for families to be reunited and bodies to be identified. Then I think about the elderly, I spent years working in an emergency department where we would get calls from families that had lost loved ones suffering from dementia. I have also taken care of patients that were found walking or driving lost and unable to tell us who they were, their medical history or how to reach their family members. There are also frequent news reports of people lost and rescuers that risk their own lives performing search and rescue missions.  So it seems that there could be many benefits to implanting these types of devices, however, putting a child through  elective surgery seems extreme. Would the benefit outweigh the risk of even a minimally invasive procedure? I do not believe so. What would happen once the child became an adult? Who could use or access that information?  Do we want the government tracking our every move? Do they do that already? Would the information gathered be used against us during the investigation of a crime by law enforcement? Could we all become suspects in crimes based solely on our locations recorded by these devices? I do not believe I am a paranoid person and I also believe that if you have nothing to hide you really have nothing to worry about, but where does my right to privacy begin and end and who decides that answer?  I would not support a bill requiring all children to be micro chipped, that seems extreme. GPS shoes, great idea but if they are taken off they become useless. I guess it is not much different then the beacon units used by back country skiers in case of avalanche, but they are removable and can be turned off as desired. So when it comes to implanting micro chips in humans I am not convinced it is a good idea, tempting though.