Should the government have a biometric data base of all citizens?

Great question. I have no desire to break any laws...yet I absolutely don't want to give my government additional power over me through the ability to track my every move without my permission. Facial recognition is even worse, as it can be used to track you from afar. It is difficult to predict the 2nd and 3rd order "programs" bureaucrats in the federal government could imagine, once they can track everyone. Just because it makes one aspect of governing easier, it does not follow that we should give up individual liberty to make it happen. Orwell anyone?

No the risks out weigh the potential benefits SSgt Alex Robinson.
(1) The government has a significant problem keeping databases with other sensitive information such as Social Security Number information secure.
(2) The US government is a very tempting target for hackers from wannabes through sophisticated foreign governments.
(3) Gathering bio-metric information for law-abiding citizens would be difficult enough. Many would simply sign releases to whatever HHS or other organization is responsible [Bureau of Census would need a separate releases form for the data to be incorporated in their databases - not a comforting thought :-)]
(4) Gathering bio-metric information for prisoners would bang into many law suits.
(5) Gathering information on documented aliens, terrorists and other people who are deliberately laying low would be incredibly difficult.
(6) For law abiding citizens the bio-metric data could be linked to SSN. What system would be used for the undocumented people and the terrorists, uncaught criminals, etc.?
COL Mikel J. Burroughs, LTC Stephen C., PO3 Steven Sherrill, SGT Forrest Stewart, SGT Randal Groover, SGT (Join to see), SGT Robert Hawks

http://townhall.com/tipsheet/leahbarkoukis/2015/09/22/some-states-will-soon-require-a-passport-to-fly-domestically-n2055416

http://cbs12.com/news/top-stories/stories/former-officer-year-facing-child-porn-charges-homeland-security-investigation-29526.shtml?wap=0

http://www.cbs12.com/news/features/files/MichaelEdwinHardingComplaint.pdf

The short answer is absolutely not. This is the land of the free, not George Orwell's 1984.

I used to work as a security officer, and as such had to be fingerprinted. It was a requirement to get that license in Florida. I currently work for a company that provides financial services, and needed to be fingerprinted. It is a SEC/FINRA regulatory requirement, and understandable being that we deal with very sensitive information. I am going to apply for a Florida Concealed Weapon Permit, and as a requirement of that license, I will be fingerprinted yet again. Additionally I was fingerprinted during my time in the Navy. All of those I understand as they involved a necessary background check. I do not believe that the Federal government, or any government agency for that matter, has any business keeping tabs on the American People.

Tracking leads to monitoring. Monitoring leads to interfering. As proof of this I refer to the first link above. The Real ID Act. The DHS/TSA is going to be limiting air travel without either a passport or an enhanced ID card. This is patently against what this country stands for. It is not going to stop terrorists. A person dedicated to causing harm, and willing to die for their cause is not going to be thwarted by a gold star on a Driver's License.

Furthermore, background checks and fingerprinting are not necessarily an indicator that a person is going to be crime free. We have a developing story here in FL about an officer who was named "Officer of the Year" for his department, and is currently being charged with child pornography. I have included links above. So the reality is that people are going to do what they are going to do.

Enhanced ID, Fingerprints, Background Checks, DNA sampling, phone data collection, and any other tactic used to prevent these acts are going to have a greater impact on the ordinary person trying to get through their daily life than they are on a person with nefarious intent. It may make it easier to catch them after the fact. It is not going to stop them from acting. In the case of terrorism, catching them after the fact is too late. I personally think that a vigilant, educated, concerned citizenry is a better weapon for stopping these things. Case in point Shoe bomber, Paris Train, Underwear bomber. All stopped by citizens paying attention, and acting when they saw something not quite right. Ok, granted in all three cases, the terrorist had a small success before being thwarted. In the case of both bombers, their explosive device failed due to excessive moisture. In the case of the Paris Train, the shooter got off several rounds, and fought against those who tried to subdue him. All three managed to successfully make it to their target area.

Rant over.

SSgt Alex Robinson LTC Stephen F. SGT (Join to see) SSG James J. Palmer IV aka "JP4" COL Mikel J. Burroughs