For anyone who has ever heard of Big Brother,no not the reality show, but the controversial topic related to the government, this will be a very disturbing column for you to read. According to Dr. Elaine M. Ramesh, studies are underway to make it mandatory for all U.S. citizens to have a microchip containing our criminal, medical, and financial records. The chip would be inserted under the skin. Though this research is in its beginning stages, some credit card companies as well as some government officials are pressuring the researchers to hurry and get it patented.

Some advantages of this new rice-sized microchip include law enforcement officials being able to easily scan the chip. If they pull someone over they would be able to see if there were any outstanding warrants for that person’s arrest or if they had been convicted of any crimes.

Also it would be easier for credit card companies to detect fraud. With different variations of the chip, some are even capable of tracking people. This would be useful if someone was kidnapped or if there was a missing person.

Now how might this affect you or me? Well if the microchip became a requirement for U.S. citizens, which in my opinion will probably not occur due to the amendments, we would all have to get this done around the same time.

I would feel like I had to be extra careful with what I do because, believe it or not, we do have some crazy people in this country and I would be worried about being followed or my specific “identity” being taken.

These distinct amendments, the fourth,which protects people from search and seizure, the fifth, which protects one from testifying against himself, and the fourteenth which says that our property is protected, are what keeps this invasion of privacy from being patented.

If the issue of our rights does not sway you to think about the almost certain chance that this chip will back fire, then maybe think about the future. Soon they will be making chips for the brain to do medical research on Alzheimer’s patients, and if it is what they call a read/write chip, than those chips could be altered and that means that people would be able to, no pun intended, play with your mind.

Not only would that be wrong but it is also very scary to think about. Your kids would have to live with these thoughts and situations. You would always have a feeling that some one is watching you, or at least I would.

So if you have never heard of these chips that are supposed to help us crack down on criminals, I encourage you to do some research. It is your future and your children's future as well.