Some people have decided they will not surrender their fingerprints -
it's none of their business, they say. Some have been successful in
making this stand and have not been harmed. Others have been beat up
for refusing. One of our citizens shared this story of refusing to
give his fingerprints:
"We're taking your prints."
"Oh no you're not, they're my property."
Then four big troopers were brought in and this poor fellow, who is only about 5' 7" tall and weighs about 130 pounds, was thrown to the ground and all four of them began beating on him. To defend himself, he rolled up into a ball. He pulled in as hard as possible while these guys kicked him. Finally he cried out, "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."
Almost immediately they quit kicking and walked away. They never did obtain his prints or picture.
Once they approached me and said it was time to take my fingerprints. I smiled at them and said, "What do you want mine for? You already have them." That was the end of it - they released me without obtaining my prints.
Another time when one of our people was asked to give his fingerprints he asked:
"First, I need to know one thing. If you take my prints, are you going to use them against me?"
"Oh no, we're not going to do that," said the officer.
Then as they were leading him to the fingerprinting room, he asked another officer, "Excuse me, it's really important. If you take my fingerprints, are you going to use them against me?"
And the officer immediately said, "Absolutely, what do you think we're taking them for?"
"Well, in that case I choose not to testify against myself."
They walked him back to the drunk tank and said they would take his prints later. But he was released - without giving them his fingerprints.
The prints on your fingers are your property. And technically, it is none of their business. They want to make prints to get a positive identification on you - and fingerprints are positive identification. Unfortunately, they can use that positive identification against you.
We know the Scripture says, "Do not cast your pearls before the swine." Matthew 7:6 I consider my fingerprints pearls. Therefore, I would not voluntarily offer my fingerprints as my pearls to the swine, lest they trod them underfoot and turn and rend me. That is exactly their whole purpose and intent - to take those pearls and tear you to pieces. The more information they have on you, the easier it is for them to perform their heinous crimes against you. They are calling you a criminal, but they are the ones gathering information to destroy lives. When they ask for fingerprints, I would probably say:
"I consider my fingerprints as private property. It's my pearls and the Scripture says, 'Do not cast your pearls before the swine.'"
"Are you calling us swine?"
"I didn't call you anything, I only declared a principle, 'do not cast your pearls before the swine.' Now if you consider yourself swine then you said it, I didn't. But as far as I'm concerned, I don't know who you are and my fingerprints are not available. I rely upon the mandate of my Lord Jesus Christ, 'Do not cast your pearls before the swine.' If you plan on using these fingerprints in any capacity against me, then you would be labeled swine."