MasoniCHIP

33rd degree Scottish Rite Mason joins with 36 North Americanlodges to take identification to the next level.

Masonichip International, a Masonic non-profit 501(c)(3) public charity organization, has initiated a new child identification program. The program is aimed, according to their websites, at keeping a detailed record of children in perfect synchronization with law enforcement databases in order to aid law enforcement in the event of a missing or abducted child. Each child receives a kit to collect all the child’s information including: photos, video, voice recordings, digital fingerprints, dental impressions, saliva swabs, DNA, as well as traditional statistical information (height, weight, hair and eye color, etc.). The information is now being stored on multiple servers on the Internet and kept synchronized and shared with law enforcement.

Even though the masonichip.org website says there is no chip, just the gathering and cataloging of so much detailed information on any child or individual should be a reason for concern. Data Mining is a process of extracting patterns from data and transform this data into valuable information. It is commonly used in a wide range of profiling practices, such as marketing, surveillance, fraud detection and scientific discovery. A good example of this are grocery cashiers asking for your zip code, or trying to get you to signup for a membership card or enforced RFID cards for toll roads and traffic cameras. All of these are examples of very effective Data Mining that when put together are extremely powerful.

The more information that some company, organization or government institution gathers from you the more effectively this information can be put together and used against you. The more information that entity has, the more control or power that entity has over you. Consider for example, even if you were willing to trust this Masonic organization, how this information can be misused if it falls in the wrong hands like hackers (crackers) advertising companies and criminals. As numerous security bridges and stolen information from databases has been reported by many companies, it’s now obvious how weak and fragile security is regardless of the efforts made to keep private information secure and confidential.

Masons of one of the Canadian lodges taking part in Masonichip

The President of Masonichip, Denny Robinson has been involved in all aspects of Masonry for over 35 years. He is a Past State Master Councilor of DeMolay, Past Master of two Masonic Lodges, 33° Scottish Rite Mason and served in 2007 as CEO of South Dakota Freemasonry in the office of Grand Master. He organized and performed the Re-dedication of Cornerstone laying of the South Dakota State Capital on the 100 year anniversary of that event and was instrumental in starting the MasoniChip program in South Dakota named SD-CHIP and expanded it state-wide its first year. International.

Many would argue about the ethical concerns of branding and cataloging children like cattle. Civil rights organizations would point out the clear violation of privacy, not to mention the concerns of Christians and Muslims of something that can be seen, with all reason, as the a stepping stone if not the mark of the beast itself.

Currently Masonichip International has deployed a massive advertising campaign (refer to Website links at the bottom for a few examples). By constantly seeing this kind of suggestive advertising on the media, as lots of people agreeing and taking part of it, we may slowly be convinced to the idea of giving up our individual privacy and freedom for the sake of security. Is fear a good enough reason for people to give away their liberty of privacy so easily? Benjamin Franklin, Provincial Grand Master Mason of Pennsylvania, would disagree as one of his most famous quotes was: “They who would give up an essential liberty for temporary security, deserve neither liberty or security”

To inform yourself as to how far the privacy and security problem has come, you may want to watch the following special report created by CNBC. Click here to Watch the Video: Big Brother Big Business.

Reference:

http://www.mochip.org/

http://www.masonichip.ca/

http://mdchip.org/

http://www.hamiltondistrictamasons.org/masonichip.htm

http://www.stlawrencemasons.com/masonichip.htm

(VERX Article)