 |
After two decades, Sean Reid of Surrey, British Columbia, discovered that he had a son. Fred Turley of Des Plaines, Ill., learned he didn’t have a daughter. And Wendy Lieb of Lewis Center, Ohio, made certain she wasn’t going to be a grandmother quite yet.
In all three situations, crucial genetic information altered the lives of the people involved. And in each case, it came not from a doctor or other medical source, but from a $29.99 kit on a drugstore shelf.
Reid, Turley and Lieb are among more than 800 customers who responded to the first wave of test marketing for do-it-yourself DNA paternity tests sold as Identigene by Sorenson Genomics of Salt Lake City.
Sales in three western states — Washington, Oregon and California — were so brisk last fall that Rite Aid Corp. expanded the product this week to some 4,300 stores in 30 states across the country.
I’ll bet this starts more family fights than it finishes.
What sort of Satan worshipping minion does one need to be to not only imagine such a product, but then think it a good idea to actually make and market the damn thing? And was the crucial Jerry Springer audience really calling out for this service?
#1 – Not a shock that you’d come to this opinion: You’re never right.
Sorenson is a world class genetics company here in scenic Utah, and it’s safe to say what they are selling works… quite well… because to sell something of poor quality would harm other segments of their business (that make a lot more money than a $30 kit at the drug store).
As for the question of “why”, it should be obvious that humans are hung up over the question where they came from. “Who’s my baby daddy?” is just the latest connotation of the question.
Mammas baby, dads maybe.
Now we just need to overturn this horrible precedent that exists where a man can be tricked into believing a child is his, later find out it isn’t, but still be forced to provide it with support.
There’s more to being a parent than genetics. There are plenty of genetic parents who shouldn’t have been allowed to have children, and there are plenty of parents who are truly mother and father to those not of their genes. However, given human nature, I wouldn’t be surprised that Eideard’s parting thought is fulfilled completely.
I read somewhere (totally unsubstantiated of course) that about 25% of kids don’t have the father they think they have.
#2 – #1 – Not a shock that you’d come to this opinion: You’re never right.
Thanks. Your disagreement always validates me.
They mention the $30 price, but then you have to pay the $120 lab fee. And an extra $200 for something that will stand up in court. If they could really get this down to $30 or even under $100 total, you’d really see some court battles.
I never believe my son is really mine. You just assume up front, that it might be or might not be and get on with your life. And what matters most is that you’re raising him and he’s seeing you as dad.
That woman is sexy
Yes – this ought to give lawyers some extra business.
OTOH now it will become common knowledge that lawyers have no parents – they are spawned directly by the devil 😉
#7 – Your worship is noted.
Wait until the kid is grown. If he/she is a credit to the human race, rich or looking after you in your old age. Claim the kid. “Yeah! That’s my kid!”
If the more likely scenario occurs and the kid makes headlines with Governor/Presidents, runs drugs, wants bail money all the time or is named Britney. Run to the drugstore. Anyone asks you may be able to say “I’m sure the kid is a disappointment to the father. Whoever that is.”
#12, James Hill,
So this test will prove who isn’t your daddy. Will it help find which circus worker is?
[Comment deleted – Violation of Posting Guidelines. – ed.]