Real ID infringes on American liberty
National ID cards to contain massive amounts of personal information
Amanda Woodruff
Issue date: 3/3/08 Section: Opinion
Your driver's license may soon turn into what is essentially a national identity card. State by state, the REAL ID must be approved as a means to counter terrorism, reduce fraud and protect identity.
But the REAL ID system might just be a real problem.
The majority of Americans want terrorism to disappear and, at the same time, protect themselves, their identities and their wallets. REAL ID is not the way to achieve this.
Constitutionally speaking, the Fourth Amendment secures the rights of citizens to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures, unless there is probable cause.
The government is looking the other way so a national ID can slip through the loopholes.
In May 2005, Congress approved the bill as a "must pass" Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina supplement, according to the ACLU web site,
www.aclu.org. In other words, there was no voting.
The only way for it to work is if every American obtains this ID on a national scale. So really, it's one big unfunded federal mandate.
The funds will come from our pockets. According to the Homeland Security Grant Program, each state will use 20 percent of its funds. When that money runs out, our taxes will increase. The estimated cost for a five-year plan in the state of Washington is $251 million, according to the ACLU web site.
Cha-ching.
It would also require every individual to hand over personal information to a massive networking system between all 50 states. The card itself requires a full, legal name, residence, gender, date of birth, signature, document number, digital photograph and a machine readable strip.
The REAL ID turns driver's licenses into a national identity card.
Individuals would need it to board federal aircrafts and enter nuclear power plants. Actions most citizens do all the time.
This national identity will not protect us against terrorism because people can still find ways to obtain fraudulent cards. It invades privacy on a national level. It's a one-stop shop for identity thieves. It is going to cost us more money than we can begin to understand and it's only going to expand over time.
But the REAL ID system might just be a real problem.
The majority of Americans want terrorism to disappear and, at the same time, protect themselves, their identities and their wallets. REAL ID is not the way to achieve this.
Constitutionally speaking, the Fourth Amendment secures the rights of citizens to be secure against unreasonable searches and seizures, unless there is probable cause.
The government is looking the other way so a national ID can slip through the loopholes.
In May 2005, Congress approved the bill as a "must pass" Iraq War and Hurricane Katrina supplement, according to the ACLU web site,
www.aclu.org. In other words, there was no voting.
The only way for it to work is if every American obtains this ID on a national scale. So really, it's one big unfunded federal mandate.
The funds will come from our pockets. According to the Homeland Security Grant Program, each state will use 20 percent of its funds. When that money runs out, our taxes will increase. The estimated cost for a five-year plan in the state of Washington is $251 million, according to the ACLU web site.
Cha-ching.
It would also require every individual to hand over personal information to a massive networking system between all 50 states. The card itself requires a full, legal name, residence, gender, date of birth, signature, document number, digital photograph and a machine readable strip.
The REAL ID turns driver's licenses into a national identity card.
Individuals would need it to board federal aircrafts and enter nuclear power plants. Actions most citizens do all the time.
This national identity will not protect us against terrorism because people can still find ways to obtain fraudulent cards. It invades privacy on a national level. It's a one-stop shop for identity thieves. It is going to cost us more money than we can begin to understand and it's only going to expand over time.
Viewing Comments 1 - 1 of 1
Flo
posted 3/04/08 @ 3:18 PM EST
People who think we still have a constitution are kidding themselves. This is one of those reasons people support Ron Paul. He understands the threat we are facing and it's not from terrorist overseas. (Continued…)
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