I'm not ready for a barcode on my forehead

[pointedview]

I'm too astonished and horrified to write much about this. Assuming we have any civil liberties left in ten years, I hope some of these children sue have a really stern talk with their parents for putting them through such a thing

Comments

[mumpish]

Stay in view, please.

[pointedview]

You don't find the actuality of this to be incredibly disturbing?

[goodjoan]

Dan and I were recently discussing our options for keeping in touch with the kids when they are away from us (ie at school, on the bus, etc.) We might give them a few small walkie talkies that I bought for our recent camp out since they aren't that far away as the crow flies, or possbily investing in one cheap metropcs phone that Owen could keep in his backpack but the school has a no-phone rule. I have an old beeper that might be at least a one way heads up, maybe to tell the kids to turn on the handheld radios. There is even a nifty kid lo-jack type watch that you can buy that lets you track your kid like a car, via the web or phone hat also has an emergency beacon that an older child can set off if they feel in danger, or goes off automatically if the band is cut. If they weren't $300 each I'd probably try them! All the same, I would never go so far as to microchip my kids! At least not under this administration!! I'm ok with an Id card and even a hand scan at school for tracking attendance and lunch money, etc but being able

[pointedview]

Communication is good. I'm all for communication, and hey, walkie talkies are fun. :) We used them in the LA Convention Center at E3 because the center is so concrete-laden that cell phones can't get any reception.

I'm right with you on the under skin "Ewww, creepy!" I mean, I won't even go for that birth control option that has the five year release system because it's a plastic wheel that slips under your skin and just . . . icky! *squirms* Completely outside the Orwellian aspect of it, it just makes me physically squinchy! :)

[goodjoan]

Well, the article said the kids had badges that contained the chip and I might be ok with that. So long as it could be removed at will. I *am* concerned about where my kids are when I can't see them and I'd probably be ok with my school system tracking them during school hours on the way to and from school (granted, I Love my kids school and the local school system) but I wouldn't want my kids tracked outside of that situation and not without their knowledge. I have visions of letters home stating that my child has been home sick for 3 days and that they will be tracking him to insure I take him to the dr before returning him to school. that's probably TAME compared to the reality of how badly our rights and freedoms could be trampled if the chip was permanent!

[pointedview]

One of my worries about even having the badges is who has access to the information, and who -could- have access to the information. After knowing several former cops who left their respective forces due to corruption, I just don't have much trust in our police force. I imagine you heard about that police officer who was taking people out into the woods instead of taking them to the station

[quandry]

I read that this morning, you're right, it _is_ horrifying.

A long time ago, I worked in a science museum that had a lot of kids visiting. I saw parents walk in with their kids on _leashes_ every day I worked there. I'm not kidding. It was usually a plastic coiled rope (like a phone cord) made with a loop handle for the parent and a velcro thing to go around the kid's wrist or arm. (Yes, these things are manufactured for that purpose. What kind of weirdo invents a kid leash? What kind of fucked up society buys them by the case?) I saw more than one parent smack their kids for taking it off, and nearly every parent that used the leash would drag the kid around using the leash, as if the child were a recalcitrant dog.

I'm certain this technology is going to be used to jerk kids around as if they are uncooperative animals.

I'm not at all surprised by the support of the parents in that county.

But yes, it's fucking sick.

[goodjoan]

I had to leash one of my kids, not just the cute little teddy bear themed velcro thing, but an honest to god heavy duty dog harness!He was the kind of kid that would yank his arm free and bolt away from me cackling with glee. He could houdini out of his stroller belts and any high chair strap and I had to buy a special kid proof plastic cover to keep him from unhooking his seat belt in the car! With the harness on, I could buckle stroller and high chair seat belts behind him, through the harness and he couldn't get away. Before I had kids, the concept of leashing a kid was horrific to me, but with this kid in hand, I was happy to be the subject of stares and rude comments because it was better than him getting hit by a car! Thankfully, he was the only one of my kids to get such an over the top discipline! Sheesh, after him I am not sure how I managed to have more kids! All the same, I would never microchip him!

[quandry]

For special discipline problems, I can see your point. And I think we agree it's not for every kid out there. Most of the kids that I saw were not like that though...

The sight of kids pausing to look at something, then getting yanked by the wrist to move forward by a parent walking 10 feet ahead with his or her back turned, who wouldn't even bother to look at or talk to the kid was the kind of thing that got me riled up. It was the exact same thing you'd do if your dog had stopped to sniff something while you were walking, just give the leash a jerk and keep walking.

[goodjoan]

Right, I would never suggest that parents should rely on any gadget to do their parenting first! The harness was a last resort for us when we had a seemingly reckless, fearless toddler on our hands. He also managed to sneak out of the house totally naked at the age of 3, climb onto the running board of a delivery van and hide from the driver! The driver took off and thankfully, turned around in the culdesac near my house, where said Darwin award runner-up child fell off. He got banged up a bit and walked home and rang the doorbell. I thought he was in his room! He has more than once run and jumped into deep water at pools because doing the cannonball looks like fun, even though he can't swim. He's gone down staircases face first, punctured his own eardrum with a q-tip, jumped into his bed and ended up with 6 stitches when his face hit the bedframe...it's a wonder he's made it to 8! (well, he's 8 next week so we're hoping he survives!) Teaching your kids how to behave is a large part of parenting, but protecting themselves from

[canopic_no_9]

wretched!

I climbed over and out of everything my mother ever tried to put in. There wasn't a crib that could hold me. Heh heh. Still alive, no kidknappings, fell down the stairs a few times.

[pointedview]

*laughs* I used to bump down the stairs on my bum. :)