Chipping away at priorities

[WiNaDeYo]

Pennsylvania State Representative writes editorial and mentions her efforts to avoid microchipping humans.....hopefully there are a lot more "good" politicians like her out there....

Thursday, July 16, 2009

Like the writer of the editorial "Legislative 'priorities'" (July 8 and TribLIVE.com), all Pennsylvanians can agree that the current primary focus of the General Assembly should be the swift passage of a balanced state budget.

However, the citizens of Pennsylvania deserve more than fiscal responsibility from their representatives; while leaders attack the budget deficit, lawmakers must continue to protect their constituents from other abuses.

For that reason, I recently worked to pass a bill that bans the forced implantation of radio-frequency identification devices in humans.

The implantation of such microchips was shown to cause sarcomas in animals. According to the FDA, the implants also can cause adverse tissue effects as well as internal and external burns for patients who undergo an MRI with an implant under their skin.

Medical concerns aside, the potential criminal abuse of implanted identification devices is a horrifying reality. With private information stored on the microchips, implanted Pennsylvanians would be susceptible to identity theft on a level few have imagined.

Already, one online independent opposition group has proven that it could hack and clone a microchip using a standard radio-frequency reader.

Despite these facts, some 200 Alzheimer's patients in Florida are walking around with implanted identification devices, and proposals to implant airline workers, the U.S. military and eventually all U.S. citizens continue to grow in strength and misguided support.

My bill was a pre-emptive strike on the threats posed by implantation of identification devices. Already, many citizens have voiced their gratitude.

Regardless of whether a state budget is in place, serious issues will continue to plague Pennsylvanians every day. As legislative leaders continue to wage war against the fiscal crisis, lawmakers cannot ignore our first priority: the rights and safety of all Pennsylvanians.

Babette Josephs

Philadelphia

The writer is a state representative from the 182nd District.