DNAssholes

From an NYT article about stalkers hell-bent on securing the DNA of people they think might be able to fill the gaps in their family tree:

Some funeral homes now offer post-mortem DNA collection. But Linda Jonas saw no need for professional help when she tugged several hairs from her grandmother’s head as she lay in her casket.

She made sure to get the root.

“Obviously, it’s not going to hurt her,” said Ms. Jonas, a family historian in McLean, Va. “I had a little Ziploc.”

I bet she did.

A couple of things:

First, one of these days, these stalkers are going to fuck with the wrong person and someone is going to get hurt. The presumptuousness of these creepy people is jaw-dropping.

Then, I cannot wait until one of them is sued. I don't know what the cause of action will be (there must be a privacy tort in there somewhere), but testing someone's DNA against their will and/or without their knowledge has got to raise a few legal red flags. I would figure out a way to go after the company that does the actual genetic testing, as I'm sure these morons are judgment-proof.

Finally, I can understand the desire of people to know their relatives. But if someone says, "No" or doesn't consent, what is the matter with moving on? Are we so intent on getting what we want that we're willing to violate others' boundaries and privacy?