The Violation of Natural Law Inherent to a Universal DNA Database

The United States of America was founded on an underlying bedrock of natural rights in accordance with the theory of natural law, but over time, its commitment to these fundamental principles has deteriorated. DNA investigatory techniques pioneered during the 20th Century have brought the U.S. to a crossroads in the 21st: Our generation must now decide if we will continue or reverse this hollowing out of our most sacred freedoms in the name of expediency. Because the compulsion of DNA profiling would directly violate the natural rights to liberty and freedom from government intrusion, I am resolved that, in order to be a more moral society, the U.S. government should not expand the FBI’s CODIS database to establish a universal DNA database.

The tradition of natural law is long and profound, dating back to the ancient Greek and Roman thinkers and culminating in the writings of John Locke. As Locke argued, the natural law is universal to all rational beings and decrees that “no one ought to harm another in his life, health, liberty, or possessions…” (Locke) In the Declaration of Independence, the founders enshrined a similar set of natural rights to “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” which formed the foundation of the American system of government. (US 1776) The founders were particularly concerned with securing the…