DNA, The Truth Will Always Come Out!

[Murphy101]

14 minutes ago, thessa516 said:

That's not a very nice thing to say. There are many valid reasons someone may not want to have their DNA tested. A big one is that by law you are required to disclose any DNA results when applying for life insurance. 

 

And that attitude she displayed right there is exactly why so many don’t want to test.

It’s not nice at all.

And the irony is the OP stated upfront that people have valid reason to not consider doing it.

I agree there is hostility in this thread, but I’d say it’s from the OP.

[StartingOver]

4 minutes ago, Murphy101 said:

 

And that attitude she displayed right there is exactly why so many don’t want to test.

It’s not nice at all.

And the irony is the OP stated upfront that people have valid reason to not consider doing it.

I agree there is hostility in this thread, but I’d say it’s from the OP.

LMAO

[Pippen]

I have an older family member who was given an Ancestry kit as a gift. The family member sent it in thinking it would would be a fun and interesting thing to do, and instead the results were confusing and upsetting, especially to someone who is the oldest living member of the family.  No medical concerns by descendants---just general curiosity about ethnicity. It will not be a happy discovery for this person to learn of other relatives related by blood, should any in the future ever connect up. 

[SarahCB]

2 hours ago, plansrme said:

So?  Are they more “who they are” with this knowledge?  No.  Genes are just genes; they are not who you are, and they are not who your cousins are.  

I don't understand why some people who are adopted go looking for bio-relations. My dh was adopted and has always known who he is. He loves his parents and hasn't ever felt like something was missing. Sure, he's curious as to whether there's any serious medical history that would be worth knowing, but he's not curious enough to want to go digging around. 

[Katy]

I get that there are people who can use junk science to convince themselves of risks they don't have.

And yet, I'm another story for the other side.  <Personal story deleted for privacy reasons...  to sum it up, 23andMe & Promethease solved a medical mystery for me>.

So... if you don't have family or medical mysteries you care to solve, those tests won't likely do anything for you. But if you do?  I say go for it.  Worst case scenario you're out $100 for a test when it's not on sale, and whatever promethease charges that day for a deeper medical analysis. Chances are it will cost less than another doctor visit and if it yields no information, at least you ruled out something.

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, Katy said:

I get that there are people who can use junk science to convince themselves of risks they don't have.

And yet, I'm another story for the other side. 

Did I miss this announcement?  Congrats! And if that is the part that is private let me know and I will delete.

[DawnM]

2 hours ago, plansrme said:

So?  Are they more “who they are” with this knowledge?  No.  Genes are just genes; they are not who you are, and they are not who your cousins are.  

 

They are most certainly a part of who you are.  

[Scarlett]

9 minutes ago, Pippen said:

I have an older family member who was given an Ancestry kit as a gift. The family member sent it in thinking it would would be a fun and interesting thing to do, and instead the results were confusing and upsetting, especially to someone who is the oldest living member of the family.  No medical concerns by descendants---just general curiosity about ethnicity. It will not be a happy discovery for this person to learn of other relatives related by blood, should any in the future ever connect up. 

I guess your post is purposely vague, but why would it be upsetting?  

[Scarlett]

9 minutes ago, SarahCB said:

I don't understand why some people who are adopted go looking for bio-relations. My dh was adopted and has always known who he is. He loves his parents and hasn't ever felt like something was missing. Sure, he's curious as to whether there's any serious medical history that would be worth knowing, but he's not curious enough to want to go digging around. 

Well, we are all different.  I don't understand people like your husband who have no desire to know who his bio parents are.  

[StartingOver]

Genetic testing for one son cost my insurance $10,000, $5000 of which was out of pocket. Results from Ancestry and 23andme and Promethease cost $187. I am good with my savings.

[DawnM]

12 minutes ago, SarahCB said:

I don't understand why some people who are adopted go looking for bio-relations. My dh was adopted and has always known who he is. He loves his parents and hasn't ever felt like something was missing. Sure, he's curious as to whether there's any serious medical history that would be worth knowing, but he's not curious enough to want to go digging around. 

 

I am sorry this seems so difficult to understand.  There are many, many who DO wish to know.  I am on several boards with THOUSANDS looking.  

And yes, I love my parents.  They are my parents no matter what I find out.  That isn't the issue in question.  

[DawnM]

1 minute ago, StartingOver said:

Genetic testing for one son cost my insurance $10,000, $5000 of which was out of pocket. Results from Ancestry and 23andme and Promethease cost $187. I am good with my savings.

 

Did you find different results from Promethease than 23andMe?  I have a Promethease account, but it is not as user friendly and I don't really get it.

[StartingOver]

Just now, DawnM said:

 

I am sorry this seems so difficult to understand.  There are many, many who DO wish to know.  I am on several boards with THOUSANDS looking.  

And yes, I love my parents.  They are my parents no matter what I find out.  That isn't the issue in question.  

Yes, Many do not wish and many do. Those who do have adoption boards  everywhere, they have been around  for many years. There are many groups on Facebook dedicated to helping adoptees. This isn't a new thing, it's just another tool.

[StartingOver]

2 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Did you find different results from Promethease than 23andMe?  I have a Promethease account, but it is not as user friendly and I don't really get it.

No, I only have Promethease. Is isn't easy to read and takes time to research. My sister had done a ton of research before I got my results, her brother who is a doctor helped a ton, so I had a head start. Months later I am still digging through. Most of the questions I had when I did it, have been answered. Research advances happen all the time, I think like genealogy I will be at it for a very long time.

[StartingOver]

4 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Did you find different results from Promethease than 23andMe?  I have a Promethease account, but it is not as user friendly and I don't really get it.

23 and me is the best test to run through Promethease, but Ancestry is the most valuable for searching for family. I have tested on every single site out there that I can find.

[DawnM]

Just now, StartingOver said:

23 and me is the best test to run through Promethease, but Ancestry is the most valuable for searching for family. I have tested on every single site out there that I can find.

 

Yes, I have found this to be true for me as well.  I am starting my son with 23andMe.  There is a Father's Day sale so I will order him a kit.  I honestly don't expect to find any relatives for him as he is from a very remote area, but, well, you never know!

[Liz CA]

I didn't know that life insurance required you to disclose DNA results...well that is kind of a red flag to me.

I was not going to say much more but here it goes: One of my mother's friends suspects (having overheard things as a kid) that her mother was possibly raped when a retaliatory Soviet force overran Eastern Prussia shortly before WWII ended. This friend has shared that she would rather not know if she is the product of rape or if the man to whom her mother was married and who returned from war and raised her as his own, is her father.

This is why I said earlier it's a very individual thing.

[StartingOver]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

 

Yes, I have found this to be true for me as well.  I am starting my son with 23andMe.  There is a Father's Day sale so I will order him a kit.  I honestly don't expect to find any relatives for him as he is from a very remote area, but, well, you never know!

You never know and more people test every day. ?

[Scarlett]

3 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Yes, I have found this to be true for me as well.  I am starting my son with 23andMe.  There is a Father's Day sale so I will order him a kit.  I honestly don't expect to find any relatives for him as he is from a very remote area, but, well, you never know!

Do I understand correctly that we can upload the 23andMe results to Ancestory?  

[DawnM]

2 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

Do I understand correctly that we can upload the 23andMe results to Ancestory?  

 

No.  You can upload 23andMe to MyHeritage and Prometheus.  Ancestry is its own DNA test.

[Scarlett]

2 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

No.  You can upload 23andMe to MyHeritage and Prometheus.  Ancestry is its own DNA test.

OOOOOh.  So which one is better?  Ancestry for finding people and 23 and me for finding out medical?

[plansrme]

2 hours ago, StartingOver said:

I was not adopted, I can't know the answers.  They know why they were given up. To have someone who looks like you has been the most important thing to them.  I am not an adoptee, I can't tell you what it is like. But I will help any adult adoptee who comes to me. I won't apologize. You have a right to your feelings they have a right to know if they wish.

But YOU are the one saying--you've said it twice--that your genes are who you are.  My point is that your genes are NOT who you are.  You can feel any way you want, but your genes are not who you are.  You are so, so much more than your genes; everyone is, adopted or not.  But if having "someone who looks like you" has truly been the most important thing to them, well, then, I think someone needs more than a DNA test.

[StartingOver]

1 minute ago, Scarlett said:

Do I understand correctly that we can upload the 23andMe results to Ancestory?  

No, you can not. You can take the Ancestry or test and upload to FTDNA, Myheritage, and Genesis.gedmatch.com. Although occasionally they have issues that have to be fixed before new chips from either can be uploaded. That is why I always say that 23andme is best if you wish to get medical, and Ancestry the best if you are searching for family. Ancestry allows you to do mirror trees to break through brick walls, or find unknown family ( if you are using a mirror tree, please remember to put a tree private so as to not confuse people.) 23andme doesn't have this ability.

[StartingOver]

4 minutes ago, plansrme said:

But YOU are the one saying--you've said it twice--that your genes are who you are.  My point is that your genes are NOT who you are.  You can feel any way you want, but your genes are not who you are.  You are so, so much more than your genes; everyone is, adopted or not.  But if having "someone who looks like you" has truly been the most important thing to them, well, then, I think someone needs more than a DNA test.

Nature vs. nurture. I am my genes. I was not adopted. Your opinion may vary. I am speaking about myself, or my cousins. I have said nothing about your or yours.

[HS Mom in NC]

Anyone relying on DNA to reveal truth should read this article and take results with a grain of salt. https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

[StartingOver]

3 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Anyone relying on DNA to reveal truth should read this article and take results with a grain of salt. https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

Ethnicity is just an estimate taken from all tests and how much DNA you might share with people from a region. It is not an exact science they haven't dug up ancestors from eons ago to test their DNA. People cross the lines, no one is pure. I never did a DNA for the ethnic results, although they are entertaining and can help point research. They are in no way set in stone.

[Bluegoat]

1 hour ago, StartingOver said:

I understand that and I have told how it was helpful in my family. We also know from our genetics what to watch for, what to test for if certain signs show up. For us every child born with have a neonatal surgeon in the room, it has saved many babies. We now have confirmation that we need colonoscopies early, this has removed hundreds of precancerous polyps from my close family members as young as 24, if they test regularly they may never have the colostomy bag like my mother did, they may never die of a blocked colon like my grandmother did. We know that they need genetic testing to see if they carry certain diseases before having child. We know that we may not absorb Folic Acid and need Folate. We know many things now we didn't know before. I am not obligated to list my genetics for this site.

For me and my family it has been invaluable. I have already said it. I said it again. I can't say it any (*^)$*@%% clearer.

 

 

Yes, you said this, but it doesn't actually answer the question people are asking you.  No need to swear.

[HS Mom in NC]

54 minutes ago, SarahCB said:

I don't understand why some people who are adopted go looking for bio-relations. My dh was adopted and has always known who he is. He loves his parents and hasn't ever felt like something was missing. Sure, he's curious as to whether there's any serious medical history that would be worth knowing, but he's not curious enough to want to go digging around. 

Because individuals are different.  I'm the parent of an adoptee.  I went to parenting classes and read a lot of different materials by adoptees in addition, and it all shows what people should already have figured out through casual observation: people are different. They like different things, they want different things, they think differently, they act differently, the process differently, they define themselves differently, they're curious about different things, etc. 

[StartingOver]

2 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

 

Yes, you said this, but it doesn't actually answer the question people are asking you.  No need to swear.

Who swore?  I used symbols. I am done with this conversation. It won't matter what I say to you.

[Scarlett]

7 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Anyone relying on DNA to reveal truth should read this article and take results with a grain of salt. https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

But this is just talking about the region of the world your ancestors might have come from.  That is for sure a big guess based upon how many people who share some of your dna also submit samples.

As for the direct connections to people...it is accurate.  It is still astounding to me how quickly my mother located a cousin, (who still refuses to talk with her) and then that cousin's granddaughter who was happy to talk and then to a living daughter of suspected bio dad who was not only happy to talk but to take a test that proves she is my mom's half sister.  Amazing really.

[Reefgazer]

3 hours ago, StartingOver said:

Are you serious. Ok, the genetic heart defect we have is linked to MTHFR gene. Many of our babies die before they even draw a breath, many need heart surgery. A neonatal heart surgeon should attend the birth.  There is also colon - rectal cancer in our family and the genetic proof can be used to make insurance cover our colonoscopies earlier than normal because we are among the rare few born with a ton of polyps and if removed very early, way before 50, increases our long term survival.  There are other genetic issues and DNA testing along with Promethease is much cheaper than the tests for such issues. If you don't want to test, don't. But you really shouldn't judge what you know nothing about, you don't walk in my shoes. I have had 9 pregnancies, 5 births, 3 of those have had heart defects. 

These highlighted, already-known medical conditions would qualify you for those services without DNA testing.  Knowing a cousin has some genetic mutation won't cause insurance companies to pay up, but you and your parents' histories would, which you already have.

[DawnM]

18 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

OOOOOh.  So which one is better?  Ancestry for finding people and 23 and me for finding out medical?

 

Ancestry has family trees, so if you find a cousin, for example, you may be able to find others if they have set it up.  And there are far more people who use Ancestry.  And when you put in someone's info, any public records can pop up.  Death records, Census record, marriage records, etc...

[DawnM]

16 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Anyone relying on DNA to reveal truth should read this article and take results with a grain of salt. https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

 

Call me crazy, but if it shows that Tom is my father and his brothers Bill and Bob are my uncles and their kids are my cousins, it isn't a botched job.  That article was about heritage, not DNA matches.  

And just because one person or even a handful think it is botched (and maybe it isn't!), doesn't mean EVERYONE'S is all of a sudden wrong.  

[Scarlett]

2 minutes ago, DawnM said:

 

Ancestry has family trees, so if you find a cousin, for example, you may be able to find others if they have set it up.  And there are far more people who use Ancestry.  And when you put in someone's info, any public records can pop up.  Death records, Census record, marriage records, etc...

Right, I guess this is all stuff my mom did to find her bio dad.  Well, she wasn't even looking for him.  She didn't know her dad that raised her wasn't her dad!

[StartingOver]

Just now, Reefgazer said:

The highlighted, already-known medical conditions would qualify you for those services without DNA testing. 

Gosh I wish you were with me when my mother was diagnosed with colon-rectal cancer in 1996 so that you could explain that to my insurance who didn't give a flip how many death records or medical records I had to explain to them what they should do. It took me a year to save the money to pay for a colonoscopy at 28 years of age. That Colonoscopy showed 32 precancerous polyps. Still insurance would not pay the following year even though my doctor recommended a repeat. I was found with 18 polyps non precancerous. Still insurance refused again the next year. Two brothers were tested both with precancerous polyps. Finally our insurance companies relented.

Insurance companies do what they want. My 30 year old daughter still can't  get her colonoscopies covered. She isn't 50. LOL

I won't even go over what it took to get a neonatal cardiologist in the room. I should have a private room in the local children's hospital neonate.

[Katy]

1 hour ago, Scarlett said:

Did I miss this announcement?  Congrats! And if that is the part that is private let me know and I will delete.

It's not private, I just haven't announced it anywhere yet, including social media, because I'm afraid to after the past 6 years of issues. Family and close friends know.  And now you guys.

33 minutes ago, Scarlett said:

OOOOOh.  So which one is better?  Ancestry for finding people and 23 and me for finding out medical?

Yes, however.... if you have $1000 to blow, you can now get your FULL genome sequenced.  So for the rest of your life you'll know if news about genes applies to you or not. We haven't done it yet, and may not until college is fully paid for, but at some point I'm doing this: https://www.veritasgenetics.com/mygenome

[Scarlett]

2 minutes ago, Katy said:

It's not private, I just haven't announced it anywhere yet, including social media, because I'm afraid to after the past 6 years of issues. Family and close friends know.  And now you guys.

 

Well, again congratulations!!! This is very exciting news.  

[Katy]

22 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Anyone relying on DNA to reveal truth should read this article and take results with a grain of salt. https://gizmodo.com/how-dna-testing-botched-my-familys-heritage-and-probab-1820932637

 

It isn't surprising at all that a Syrian family has mixed heritage that includes Italians.  There was a long history of various occupations there, including Roman.  The heritage might go back many years.

[Scarlett]

1 minute ago, Katy said:

 

It isn't surprising at all that a Syrian family has mixed heritage that includes Italians.  There was a long history of various occupations there, including Roman.  The heritage might go back many years.

Yeah, I am a little confused at the surprise over that part of how the test works.

[HS Mom in NC]

1 minute ago, DawnM said:

 

Call me crazy, but if it shows that Tom is my father and his brothers Bill and Bob are my uncles and their kids are my cousins, it isn't a botched job.  That article was about heritage, not DNA matches.  

And just because one person or even a handful think it is botched (and maybe it isn't!), doesn't mean EVERYONE'S is all of a sudden wrong.  

I didn't say everyone's is all of a sudden wrong.  My point is, we're still in the infancy stage of this, different companies are testing different parts of genetic code resulting in different results, so who knows what errors of assumption we're making today that we'll realize in the future. 

We also don't know what the insurance implications there will be in the future when near relatives have volunteered their DNA and families trees.  It's possible that could impact a relative down the road, but people who don't buy their own insurance are oblivious to the rapid changes in insurance over the last 6 or 7 years.  And privacy issues on the table too.  The harsh realities of unintended consequences are always waiting to bite us in the butt.  Keeping that in mind is a good idea.

[HS Mom in NC]

4 minutes ago, Katy said:

 

It isn't surprising at all that a Syrian family has mixed heritage that includes Italians.  There was a long history of various occupations there, including Roman.  The heritage might go back many years.

Do you think the typical American is aware of various occupations of different regions at different times?  I don't.  I think it would surprise a significant percentage of the population.  That's one of the problems.  People don't take things with a grain of salt because the average person doesn't realize how little they know about genetics, DNA testing, and history.

[DawnM]

3 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

I didn't say everyone's is all of a sudden wrong.  My point is, we're still in the infancy stage of this, different companies are testing different parts of genetic code resulting in different results, so who knows what errors of assumption we're making today that we'll realize in the future. 

We also don't know what the insurance implications there will be in the future when near relatives have volunteered their DNA and families trees.  It's possible that could impact a relative down the road, but people who don't buy their own insurance are oblivious to the rapid changes in insurance over the last 6 or 7 years.  And privacy issues on the table too.  The harsh realities of unintended consequences are always waiting to bite us in the butt.  Keeping that in mind is a good idea.

 

You said we should all take it with a grain of salt.  To me that says it is pretty wrong.  It isn't.  That was my point.  

And you sound like you just know it all.  The harsh realities of unintended consequences are waiting to bit us in the butt?   Yup, I am just a poor sucker who doesn't know any better.  Where is the eye roll emoticon?

[DawnM]

1 minute ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Do you think the typical American is aware of various occupations of different regions at different times?  I don't.  I think it would surprise a significant percentage of the population.  That's one of the problems.  People don't take things with a grain of salt because the average person doesn't realize how little they know about genetics, DNA testing, and history.

There you go again.....we are all just so "average" and just don't know any better because they are so stupid they don't even know how little they know......

[Katy]

1 minute ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

Do you think the typical American is aware of various occupations of different regions at different times?  I don't.  I think it would surprise a significant percentage of the population.  That's one of the problems.  People don't take things with a grain of salt because the average person doesn't realize how little they know about genetics, DNA testing, and history.

 

Eh, I don't think lack of education or reasoning is a good reason to keep a consumer from purchasing a test like that.  There are very few places on earth that haven't been occupied at some time or another, there is no such thing as pure DNA. If confusion about the past compels people to learn a bit more about history, good. If they choose to remain confused, they're no worse for wear.

[Bluegoat]

I don't know - I think that people's historical awareness is a big issue with this.  It's the main way they advertise those tests, as telling you what your heritage is.  When I've tried to contemplate doing it myself, I get almost dizzy trying to figure out what it would mean - my ancestry includes Sctos who came from Ireland and Scots who were Vikings Maybe also Scots who were Picts, who knows?  Lots of English - were they Celts, Roman, Angles?  I know I have Norman ancestors.  What would they show up as, French?  I have French ancestors that lived for a few generations in England around the 17th century before coming to Canada.  And so on with some other European ancestors, they weren't exactly a stable population.

I just have kind of a difficult time seeing what kind of results on heritage I'd get that would tell me anything, and I suspect many North Americans are in the same boat.  But I am pretty sure that's not what they are being told about the testing.  I'd not say they shouldn't be allowed to buy it because they don't really understand the results, but it is kind of false advertising.  More dodgy to me is that I am not sure the company really understands the results, but they are making a claim to do so.

[Bluegoat]

40 minutes ago, StartingOver said:

Who swore?  I used symbols. I am done with this conversation. It won't matter what I say to you.

 

A bunch of typed symbols like that is conventionally meant to be a swear word.  

[StartingOver]

6 minutes ago, Bluegoat said:

 

A bunch of typed symbols like that is conventionally meant to be a swear word.  

I never was conventional.

[HS Mom in NC]

Just now, DawnM said:

There you go again.....we are all just so "average" and just don't know any better because they are so stupid they don't even know how little they know......

You're kidding, right?

I didn't say they were stupid, I said they don't know how the testing works but they think they do. I'm hearing surprise from some people, which indicates they didn't know as much as they thought they did.  I would bet most people who have done the testing can't tell you the differences in testing done by different companies (as mentioned in the article) or genetics works. I'm not saying I do.  I'm saying it's the norm not to have deeper level understanding, so surprises are in store. Plenty of fields of science have undergone major changes over time in how they collect and interpret data. There's a huge chasm between not knowing things and calling someone stupid. You seem to jump right to the extreme for some reason.

It's remarkable how "take it with a grain of salt"," proceed with caution", "there are things we don't know" and "watch out for unintended consequences"  are interpreted as insulting and inflammatory. I thought they were all common sense approaches to each aspect of life.  I'm starting to suspect this DNA craze is turning into a pseudo religion for some people.  I've seen people around me and here online get very emotional and defensive when asked about potential problems.  Weird. 

If you've never had your privacy violated or your loved one been denied coverage due to a genetic issue before the new law (laws can change) or you've never had to pay incredibly high medical insurance fees (private medical insurance rates are rising at about 40% per year) then you might have no idea the kind of impact revealed genetic information can have on a person's life.  If you've not been part of a minority community, you may not be aware of the affect heritage has on the formation of identity and a sense of community.   None of that is calling anyone stupid because they don't know.  Neither is it calling them a sucker.

[Carrie12345]

Didn't read all the comments b/c I have a feeling I shouldn't, lol, but...

My start with DNA had me questioning my grandparentage, but deeper investigation points to me having an interesting recombination going on.  Most of my matches are 4th cousins and beyond, and there are multiples who appear to cross both my lines.  Not in my direct line, at least since the early 1800s, lol, but relatives from outer branches of one side combining with outer branches of the other.  What's really driven my investigations is all of the adoptee/unknown father matches who are seeking info.  It's not for me to decide whether their reasons are good enough.  If I have info they want, they're welcome to it!

[DawnM]

48 minutes ago, Homeschool Mom in AZ said:

You're kidding, right?

I didn't say they were stupid, I said they don't know how the testing works but they think they do. I'm hearing surprise from some people, which indicates they didn't know as much as they thought they did.  I would bet most people who have done the testing can't tell you the differences in testing done by different companies (as mentioned in the article) or genetics works. I'm not saying I do.  I'm saying it's the norm not to have deeper level understanding, so surprises are in store. Plenty of fields of science have undergone major changes over time in how they collect and interpret data. There's a huge chasm between not knowing things and calling someone stupid. You seem to jump right to the extreme for some reason.

It's remarkable how "take it with a grain of salt"," proceed with caution", "there are things we don't know" and "watch out for unintended consequences"  are interpreted as insulting and inflammatory. I thought they were all common sense approaches to each aspect of life.  I'm starting to suspect this DNA craze is turning into a pseudo religion for some people.  I've seen people around me and here online get very emotional and defensive when asked about potential problems.  Weird. 

If you've never had your privacy violated or your loved one been denied coverage due to a genetic issue before the new law (laws can change) or you've never had to pay incredibly high medical insurance fees (private medical insurance rates are rising at about 40% per year) then you might have no idea the kind of impact revealed genetic information can have on a person's life.  If you've not been part of a minority community, you may not be aware of the affect heritage has on the formation of identity and a sense of community.   None of that is calling anyone stupid because they don't know.  Neither is it calling them a sucker.

 

And YOU are kidding, right?  Take DNA, a science, with a grain of salt?  Because that is common sense?