Crystal Schmidt

English 110

17 April 2002

Persuasive Essay 2

Will the new Verichip make our lives easier, or a living hell?

Verichip, a location tracking device manufactured by Applied Digital Systems, could prevent some terrible crimes and make life easier, but would also infringe upon our principles and personal privacy, which is not worth it (Centaur). On one hand, this chip could help people with medical problems, or parents with young children. On the other hand, some people think it has been prophesized by the Book of Revelation as the "mark of the beast" (Rev.13+). It would also destroy our right to privacy and deteriorate our values. If this technology were to get into the wrong hands, which could very easily happen, it could cause horrendous problems for many people.

Also referred to as "the human bar code," this radio frequency identification chip is compatible with human tissue and is waiting for approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (Centaur 5). This chip, roughly the size of a grain of rice, can be inserted under the skin and could hold identification information, medical records, and even read your vital signs (Centaur 5). The original concept of this implant is that it could only be read like the bar code on a box of cereal, by a global positioning satellite to determine the location of the person into which it has been implanted (Murray). The Verichip will hold 128 characters of information, an electromagnetic coil, and a tuning capacitor all inside a silicone and glass enclosure (Murray). These chips are currently being used by companies and manufacturers to keep track of important cargo and supplies during shipment. They are also similar to those that have already been implanted in a million or so dogs and cats, and enable their owners to identify and claim them (Murray). In another couple years, when the technology and cost are nailed, it will be one of the biggest increases of information transfer we have seen in the last 20 years (Maloney 49). The process of implanting this microchip in a human takes a very short time, and all you need is an antiseptic swab, a local anesthetic, an injection, and a Band-Aid (Klarreich 56-57).

The Verichip can be extremely helpful in providing information on lost, stolen, hurt, or confused individuals, and will also make our lives easier and less stressful. Consider Jeffrey Jacobs, one of the first US citizens to be implanted with a microchip (Klarreich 56-57). The chip, his son reasoned, would provide medical information if his father, who has Hodgkins Disease and lymphoma, became incapacitated (Klarreich 56-57). Little children are notorious for running off, wanting to play and find adventure, and if they should happen to run too far parents can locate them and get them safely home. In the United States there are many children that get kidnapped and are never found. If these children had been implanted with a microchip, their parents would have been able to locate them the same day they were taken. People with Alzheimer's Disease who are not able to identify themselves or where they are could be scanned, and their families notified of their whereabouts (Murray). The Verichip could also drastically reduce the number of credit card, and personal fraud in this country. Imagine going to the store, scanning your hand, and having the money to pay for your items taken directly out of your bank account; nothing to sign, no checkbooks to keep track of, no bulky purses or wallets, and your credit card numbers are kept private (Maloney 49). The advantage is that you have a kind of permanent ID that won't come off (Ramstack).

Defending our privacy these days is more difficult because the new threats to it are not incredibly familiar (Kateb 204-208). The right to privacy includes a sense of liberty, a right to develop a unique personality and living space, and right to distinguish one's own persona from everyone else's (Brin 193). A transparent society is not a good one (Kateb 204-208). If we were transparent, it would imply that each of us is a simple, easily defined and coherent unit, and should be very predictable or at least regular and reliable (Kateb 204-208). The right of privacy, created from common law cases, is the right of each individual to determine to what extent his thoughts, sentiments, and emotions shall be communicated to others (Freedman 1). This right is even outlined in the Constitution of the United States, the very document that helps hold our country together (Freedman 1). It is also a big issue for children when talking about the new Verichip, because civil liberties do not just disappear because someone is not old enough to vote. The Verichip can tell anyone with the means: your personal information, where you are, and where you are going. If such betrayal becomes standard, the principle achievement of protected privacy, intimate love and intimate friendship, are doomed (Kateb 204-208).

Not only does this microchip strip away one's privacy, but it also violates essential principles and values (Gillmor). Although some parents say they would only use the tracking device in an extreme case, others would have no problem using it more freely (Gillmor). In today's society trust is becoming harder to earn, and also less valued. Ask almost anyone and they will tell you one of the most important things to build any sort of relationship on is trust. A parent who implants one of these chips in their child is doing something irreparable to the trust that must develop between the two of them. If they do not learn certain boundaries as children, then they will not have them as adults. What the world does not need is a bunch of adults that have never had to learn the hard way, never had to set boundaries for themselves, and never learned how to trust and be trusted.

Parents and authority figures are not the only ones who would have access to the growing amounts of information provided by the Verichip. Tracking devices like this one would be able to consolidate the data and distribute it, generating a target for people who would abuse the information (Gillmor). Imagine a stalker that now has the exact location of his victim 24 hours a day and is able to follow his target like never before. The world is filled with crazy people, and it takes only one of them to destroy a family. Also, there are probably many companies that would pay top dollar to know who is driving by their businesses on a daily basis (Murray). Often explained by psychologists as the "foot in the door phenomenon," (Dolan 123) at first this device will be used for applications the majority agrees with, but then it will slowly used for more than it was intended (Ramstack). Give them and inch and they will take a mile.

According to the Scriptures, the "mark of the beast" will be received on the right hand or the forehead before the end of times (Rev. 13:16). Everyone will be forced to get this mark because they will not be able to buy or sell anything without it (Rev. 13:17). Considering the technology we have today, the mark may be specifically connected to a computer chip. The Book of Revelations also goes on to say that anyone who worships this beast and his mark will be tortured with fire and burning Sulphur (Rev. 14:10). The smoke from your fire will go up forever and ever, and you will never be able to rest (Rev. 14:11). It is not just The Book of Revelation that prophesizes this, it is also mentioned in Thessalonians, and Luke. If you refuse the mark of the beast, please realize that you will immediately be in the presence of the Lord in paradise (Lk. 23:40-43). Since the Verichip may very likely replace all credit and identification cards, and is the first time we have had such technology available to us, it just might be the mark of the beast.

Even though this human tracking device presents many good points like finding lost people and generally making life easier for everyone, its negative aspects outweigh them. The fact that it depletes our values and robs of us our right to privacy as Americans are important things to consider. Taking away our privacy means taking away what little individuality we have left in today's society (Nesson 104-114). We have been condition to accept microchips in our pets, next it will be target groups like children and the elderly, and soon after that everybody will have one. Since this is the first time in history that we have had the necessary and capable technology, this microchip may very well be the "mark of the beast." Even if this system reaps mild benefits, the potential for society to suffer through abuse, dilemma, and sorrow are exceptionally high.