Scientific humor aside, of what great value is such a thing given the track record of our country in misidentifying people and/or stowing the innocent in the Cuban gulag?

Now, I’m no trouble-maker!

One can put forward what one might think to be an obvious asset: If we blow someone up in a crowd of people in Pakistan or Afghanistan and a shred of flesh can be matched to someone in the database dubbed to be a terrorist, that means we got ‘em, no? Oh wait, that’s subject to error, too…

Wait, wait, wait, I’ll get it.

Now see if we blow up bin Laden then people will want to know if the DNA from a splotch of blood is the same as stuff the government says its agents cadged off family members in Saudi Arabia, right? Why wouldn’t everyone believe that? DNA is ever so much better than photography.

Man, this is getting complicated.

No, I know. If you’re tested for DNA before boarding a plane and it matches the database then no terrorists will get on planes …dammit, that will mean everyone will have to miss their plane.

Hmmm, if you show politicians and reporters the approximate size of the DNA database, they’ll be impressed, right? That’s a good thing. They’ll know we’re using science to win the war on terror.