Scientists Seek Biomarkers For Violence 294
An anonymous reader writes "A Newtown couple, both scientists, who lost their daughter in the school shooting, are wondering whether there were clues in the shooter's physiological makeup — his DNA, his blood, his brain chemistry. They are now involved in a search for biomarkers, similar to those that may indicate disease, for violence. They are raising money to help fund this research, but the effort is running into obstacles, in part, over ethical concerns. 'I'm not opposed to research on violence and biomarkers, but I'm concerned about making too big of a leap between biomarkers and violence,' said Troy Duster, a researcher at the University of California at Berkeley. There is concern that science may find biomarkers long before society can deal with its implications."
Scary Implications... (Score:5, Interesting)
...even if their markers are accurate. What do you do with a person that carries known biomarkers for violence? If they later do something wrong, are you legally liable for allowing them to be born if you've done prenatal testing and found the markers? What about doctors who notice them midway through the person's life, should they be legally required to report such people to the police for observation?
I'm getting flavors of both Minority Report and Brave New World from this: You're left in a place where one of the most ethical options is to pre-judge the people, push medication and counseling on someone who's never done anything just to be safe, or encourage them into a societal role where their violent tendencies won't be as risky. Perhaps you put the violent kids in their own special (high security) elementary school, where they're guided towards a profession in the military, police, sports, or other violent profession?
Very scary, despite how potentially useful such a discovery might be.
Obligatory (Score:5, Interesting)
Someone must have caught Gattaca on Encore a few weeks ago. Sounds like a great idea, let's find the biomarker (a.k.a. genes) which identify violent behavior. Then what? Lobotomies? Indefinite internment? Put them on an island where they fight to the death on pay-per-view? Deny them the full rights accorded to them as citizens of the United States?
I seem to remember an era when scientists claimed that African-Americans were inferior to people of Caucasian descent. That proved to be ridiculous, racist, and fraudulent science. This concept is so flawed I can barely scratch the surface. Biomarkers do not determine who a person is or what they will become. Look at the Twins Studies. It is neither nature nor nurture, it is both.
Re:AC Post (Score:5, Interesting)
Re:AC Post (Score:5, Interesting)
It would be interesting though if they saw such gene or genes in a majority of the type-a personalities typically found in politics or corporate boardrooms.
Criminalizing Ambition is the Core of Marxism (Score:0, Interesting)
Perhaps linking ambition to the violence gene would be a wonderful excuse to have the government tied into every minute aspect of life. This is the wet dream of every college professor because they resent the ambitious individuals who dropped out and start businesses and live better than they do. So they do this; they testify before Congress on how certain laws need to be passed to harm those ambitious drop outs who now liver better than they do.
Ha-ha! I'll show those [ douchebags | assholes | jerks | motherfuckers | ambitious organized crime ethnics ]!
--
Another fine opinion from The Fucking Psychopath®.
There already is a biomarker for violence (Score:5, Interesting)
There already is a known genetic marker for violence. In the US, bearers of this genetic marker commit 70% of all property crimes, 90% of all murders, are 9 times more likely to be imprisoned, and comprise 93% of all prison inmates.
This marker is known as "Y chromosome".
Think of that.