Our View - Tuesday

City a natural fit for athletic games
Climate, venues beckon nation's best

If there's one thing Colorado Springs is known for, it's this city's love for sports and athletes. The recent decision of the United States Olympic Committee to keep its headquarters in the shadow of Pikes Peak is just one piece of evidence to back this claim. This city also is home to the World Figure Skating Hall of Fame and Museum, the Pikes Peak Marathon and Ascent, and many amateur sports' national governing bodies. In addition, most weekends find our city parks alive with the sounds of young people participating in baseball, football, soccer and, increasingly, lacrosse.

With all that in mind, it seems natural that our city would be in contention to host the 2011 State Games of America, "the nation's largest multi-sport event for amateur athletes of all ages and skill levels," according to a press release from The Colorado Springs Sports Corporation. Representatives of the National Congress of State Games are in town today and tomorrow to tour local facilities and meet with officials to evaluate the suitability of Colorado Springs of the 2011 State Games.

"We are honored to again present a bid for the honor of hosting the State Games of America," said Sports Corp Chairman Dave Palenchar in the press release. "We are proud of our city's role in helping this spectacular event grow, and our commitment to the mission and principles of the National Congress of State Games. This is an event that many cities now are eager to host, and Colorado Springs is excited to be one of them."

We're not exactly a long-shot in this race; Colorado Springs hosted the games in 2005 and 2007 and is set to welcome athletes from around the nation again in 2009. And our climate, clean air and abundance of sports venues make the Pikes Peak region the logical choice for the 2011 games.

"Colorado Springs has demonstrated an ability to host the State Games of America on two occasions with outstanding organization, volunteer support, public enthusiasm, and the superb support of the business community, the United States Olympic Committee, and the City of Colorado Springs and El Paso County," said Sports Corp President & CEO Tom Osborne in a press release.

Don't think the games are small potatoes. When they were held here in 2007, 28,900 athletes, coaches, family members and spectators had an economic impact of about $11 million. And the economic impact goes beyond that. Visitors come for the games, but take home memories of the area, which likely spark plans to visit again to sample activities they didn't have time to try. Our region offers too many attractions for visitors to limit themselves to one trip.

Once the site selection committee members have a chance to see the local venues and hear how Colorado Springs would be a good match for the 2011 games, it's difficult to imagine they'd choose anywhere else.

DNA DATABASE CARRIES RISKS

The federal government has announced that it will expand its current practice of collecting DNA samples from people convicted of federal crimes and begin collecting them from all people arrested in connection with a federal crime, along with many immigrants detained by federal authorities. This practice is expected to add genetic identifiers from about 1 million people a year to the rapidly growing federal law enforcement DNA database, which now has about 5.9 million people in it.

Thirteen states, including California, already collect or are planning to collect DNA samples from everybody arrested, including people never prosecuted, for whom charges are later dropped, and those acquitted. These states routinely forward the data to the national database.

Advocates of this database assure us that its only impact will be to make it easier to catch criminals or prevent crime. It is already routine to take fingerprints from anybody who is arrested and the practice doesn't lead to gross violations of privacy, say some. What's the big deal about taking DNA, a more precise and reliable identifier?

It is true that DNA is more precise than other forms of identification, and it is also true that DNA technology has been used to prove the innocence of some people. But it's not difficult to imagine potential problems. Since the regulations governing this program have not been published yet, there's time to consider some safeguards.

It would certainly be a problem, of course, if those who have been arrested but did not commit a crime are lumped in with convicted felons and could become targets in investigations of future crimes. In Virginia, 51 percent of those arrested were eventually dropped from the database because they were never convicted. The preliminary federal rules call for eliminating people never convicted, but only if they petition for expungement. It would be better if expungement were automatic.

Jim Harper, director of information policy studies at the libertarian Cato Institute, pointed out that information stored digitally is different from fingerprints on paper. Digital information can be more easily copied and accessed, which could create the temptation for future abuse. "A fingerprint on a piece of paper in the basement is still there if the person comes to law enforcement attention again," he said. "A database is more available, for people who are just snoopy, or possibly for more nefarious reasons," such as harassment or blackmail.

In addition, DNA has information about genetic characteristics, susceptibility to disease and the like. Current FBI rules preclude using samples to study genetic traits, but those rules could be changed or broken. It would be wise to retain only those DNA alleles necessary for identification and destroy the rest, along with the actual sample.

DNA technology can be used for good or ill. Careful consideration now can preserve its value for fighting crime while minimizing the potential for violating privacy.