Turquoise wrote:
JohnG@lt wrote:
Turquoise wrote:
You seem to ignore the fact that there are law enforcement resources that aren't open to the public viewing but you can access the relevant information for by running a background check.
There is a vast difference between background checks and a registry.
So, to answer your question, I would simply do a background check on anyone I'm considering watch my kids.
That's not hypocritical, because it doesn't use a registry like the one we've been discussing.
I fail to see the difference between the two. One set of information just requires money in order to acquire it (background check) while the registry doesn't. The end goal is the same, you're prying into an individuals life and passing judgement on them based on their past. Why not just make a national registry for everyone where all speeding tickets, felonies, former sexual conquests etc can all be tabulated in an easy to read format so you know exactly who you are hiring, right down to the size of their underwear.
So you don't believe employers should be able to find out the past records of potential employees?
I don't think it's universally a good idea. Should banks be allowed to do background checks to filter out those with convictions in theft or fraud? Yes. Does your local Taco Bell need access to the criminal record of it's potential employees? Hardly. Being responsible for millions of dollars of deposits is entirely different than being responsible for the $200 in a cash register drawer. It's different based on scale.
Criminal background and credit checks (not to mention drug testing) have become so pervasive in our society that it's really rather sickening. We don't need our government to place us in a totalitarian prison, we are doing it to ourselves of our own accord. This is why technology like the internet is a double edged sword. Sure, it gives us freedom to find information, talk to people we wouldn't normally talk to, and ease many of our daily tasks like paying bills, but it also grants the same power to employers, the government, nosy watchdogs or any number of other people who want to peep into your life and control your actions and push you into conformity. Off the top of my head, I can pull up at least three news articles within the past two years of people being fired from their jobs because of their Facebook status message. It's all gone way too far.
Edit - A quick Google search reveals a helluva lot more than the three people I was thinking of. Wow.
Last edited by JohnG@lt (2010-04-20 21:08:25)