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The Living Daylights - Gasoline |
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So, officially I have mixed feelings about this whole.....registration thing. I understand the right to privacy, the worry for yourself and the well-being of those you care about as far as the already-stretched tension between augmented and, well, non-augmented. I more than understand how many atrocities occur because of the systematic labeling of groups of people for various reasons. I know the fear that people have of being looked at differently, hated because of those differences, and potentially alienated from the lives they had before because of something that is very much not their fault.
At the same time I also understand the right of those both with and without powers to feel safe (because as much as we'd like to say we wouldn't use our abilities to harm others there are plenty out there who would, and those are the ones who often end up representing us as a whole). Those who protect and serve have the right to know what they're potentially up against in times of crisis for both themselves and those who need help (which end up being both augmented and non-augmented individuals, their families, their friends). On a more personal level I understand the need of those in the medical field to make sure they have the facilities available to assist those who may have more complicated needs when it comes to giving them what they need to survive, and to protect the others in various medical centers should things go downhill. I'd personally like to know that if I ever have to be hospitalized the staff will know exactly how to treat me if my augmentation conflicts with standard practices (and plenty of augmentations do).
Individuals have their right to privacy, absolutely, but not all of the results of a registration would be a hindrance to us. The information shouldn't be available to the public to allow those who would rather not be "outted" (provided they have no potential record) a chance to remain anonymous, but in certain circumstances (in case of medical emergency or conflicts with the authorities) the information should be available to those who need it.
As a side note, I think it would actually be a great benefit for public relations and the populace becoming more accustomed to and accepting of us if they knew that there was (I'm tempted to say "a leash") official documentation verifying that the government is not only aware of who is augmented, but that they're legally still being accepted as citizens (albeit extraordinary ones). People fear the hard to understand, the unknown, and the ambiguous, so maybe a little show of faith could help that a bit. At the very least it might ease just a little bit of the panic some people still get when they hear the word "augmented".
This doesn't mean that I think we should blindly trust the government, or what they might do with the information once they get it, but I doubt they want things to erupt any more than we do. At any rate, I'm sure that someone who's a heck of a lot more eloquent than I am can say something better later.
/end two cents.
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