FINGERPRINTING

 

          Here I am, seventy-eight years old and finally gave up my fingerprints to the government. I remember when my gym wanted us to sign in using our thumbprint and I refused to do so. No one was going to have my thumb-print. Now, thanks to signing up for the TSA program in order to avoid the long security lines at the airport, the government doesn’t just have my thumb-print, but a print of every single one of my digits. Guess I’d best not do anything very naughty without wearing gloves and a complete haz-mat suit.

          Of course, at my age, exactly what could I manage to do that would result in the police and/or government knocking on my door? I cannot think of a single thing; that or I have no imagination whatsoever.

          Just this morning while on FAcebook, I read about NikolaTesla who in 1926 predicted the cell phone. He was quoted as saying, “Not only this, but through television and telephony we shall see and hear each other as perfectly as though we were face-to-face, despite intervening distances of thousands of miles; and the instruments through which we shall be able to do this will fit in a vest pocket.” Pretty amazing huh? Since you cannot always depend on Facebook providing the truth, I did look this up and found the quote to be true.

          I also remember a fifty-year-old time capsule that was from (I think) Bellevue High School. One of the kids was reported as predicting the cell phone as well. I think perhaps he may have researched Tesla.

          In any case, giving up my fingerprints is something I never imagined I would do. In fact, in my childhood and youth, fingerprints were only ascribed to criminals and then mostly in mystery novels I read. Fingerprint technology was in its infancy way back then. Per old Perry Mason episodes, about the only thing the police were able to utilize was whether or not the blood was the same type. Maybe later episodes included fingerprint matching.

          Also never imagined by me, myself and I, was color television, microwaves, computers, cell phones and various other inventions which have been abandoned along the way, i.e., I-pods, reel-to-reel stereo equipment, stereo equipment for that matter since we now all have access to any music we want via the internet, ordinary watches, tape recorders, cameras (Yes, avid photographers still use cameras, but normally we just use our cell phone camera.), film, typewriters, etc. I’m sure I could devote many more words to items we once thought amazing that are no longer utilized on a regular basis by the majority.

          Sometimes I like to look back at my childhood and early adult years and admire the fact life was so simple and relatively easy. Books were my main entertainment and I traveled the world, nay, the galaxy and beyond though them. Television was just coming in, black and white and the news was fairly benign with no daily reports of mass shootings, wars on the other side of the globe, the latest on how the rich were screwing over the poor. I’m know there was some of that (Vietnam), but not to the extent we receive it these days.

          In some ways I regret my grandchildren were unable to live their lives as I lived mine back then. Time seemed to pass slowly and life didn’t seem to be on fast-forward. At the same time, I’m amazed at how they have adapted to this electronic age and their ability to utilize their cell phones for just about anything at all, be it ordering pizza or researching information for required school papers.

          Just as I didn’t want to give up my fingerprints, it’s entirely possible the grandkids have already provided theirs. I remember an elementary school program where kids were fingerprinted as a safety measure in case of kidnapping or the child going missing. I’m sure there is much other personal information besides fingerprints they have given up to the government.

          It probably doesn’t matter that the government now has my fingerprints, nor does it really matter whatever information it has with regard to my kids and grandkids. In time, people will most likely have a chip imbedded that will provide whatever information is required as well as provide the ability to perform all the various utilizations for which we now use the cell phone and computer. Were I to be alive then, I'm sure I’d avoid being chipped as long as possible, just as I avoided fingerprinting until just now.