What is the issue with national identity cards?

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

Why are people so opposed to national identity cards? I just don't see what the big deal is. We already have social security cards, passports, etc. Is it just paranoia? Somebody please explain!

[HFishbine]

1. For what purpose?

May I ask?

[Ravenseye]

2. I have no problem with them but....

...I think for some people it invokes lots of potential problems and exploits. There are some people who get visions of Nazi's asking for your papers. Others are worried about how far it goes, what information will be contained on it, what discrimination could come out of it.

Personally, I think that having 50 different drivers licenses, plus 50 non driving state id's, and social security cards...well it's a hastle and it's alot of bureaucracy. I'm not saying get rid of SS numbers or benefits. I'm just saying that I see no problem with a National ID card. Especially if it links with a national database. You move to a new state. You go in, pay the guy the money, he swipes your card, and your National ID now has your new whatever state license on it. Same for anything. Fishing and Hunting licenses, Gun licenses, whatever.

I just don't see how it's bad either honestly.

[AverageJoe]

3. Your papers, please

No thank you.

[SpiralHawk]

7. "What, you have NO papers !"

"Only terrorists (or Arabs, Jews, Blacks, Liberals, Free Thinkers, or what have you) have no papers.

"We will have to take you to the Detention Center for questioning. Come along quietly and you won't get hurt."

[MissMillie]

20. That's all I could think of too. (n/t)

.

[GreenArrow]

4. one issue is

whether we are citizens, or whether we are cattle with tags punched in our ears.

It's a police state tactic.

[wickywom]

5. This issue really fires up

the paranoid gov't hating right wingers.
I've come across a few who use this as a example of how the Bush* empire plans to help China and Russia to take over the country..

They all voted for Nader... this year at least one of them is voting for Kerry.

[tabasco]

6. It is just the beginning of a national database on all citizens...

to use for security purposes.

Don't even let them get started. It will be a lot harder to get rid of than it is to just not let it get started.

[Media_Lies_Daily]

14. Thanks to Patriot Act I and the pieces of Patriot Act II that have...

...already passed into law as riders on other bills, we are already being entered into a national database. And they don't have to tell you a thing about what they enter or why.

Additionally, do you remember Poindexter's TIPS program that raised a stink when it was discovered to be in operation about two years ago? Well, that resurfaced a year or so ago as a private commercial activity.

[tabasco]

16. Thank you for pointing this out.

If we want to be the "land of the free", the Patriot Act needs to be repealed. Nothing is more discouraging than to see people give up their liberties without a fight. The Democratic Party needs to stand up for freedom once again or this Nation is doomed.

[el_gato]

8. the mark of the fascist beast

maybe you would prefer subdermal implants?

[EmperorHasNoClothes]

9. I, for one, would be happy to have a national id card...

...if we could get some real privacy laws to go along with it. Hopefully that would mitigate the fears people have about it and would solve some other problems as well. The state of privacy laws in this country is a travisty.

Thanks for all the replies, it's been instructive.

[qwlauren35]

10. I don't understand it either.

However, I also believe that the intent could be accomplished simply with an IS infrastructure that simply linked the licenses of all the states, and the social security data maintained by the Feds without making it visible to the American people.

I have no idea why, if it's necessary, it isn't done.

And, in some ways, I think it would be a good thing.

I think it's reasonable, for example, for a flag to come up on any license or SS# issued to a non-citizen.

That's probably the ONLY flag that I'd be 100% comfortable with, but I'm sure folks will come up with others; race, gender, age, political party, criminal record, income, etc.

The reality is that all of that info is readily available on nearly every US citizen in America. Anyone who thinks not should go to www.ussearch.com, shell out a few bucks and see for themselves.

[skygazer]

11. Turn it around

Why do we NEED national identity cards? Why is it so important to track our own citizens?

No, hell no. I don't like the idea at all. This is a supposedly free country where we are free to move around as we wish, come and go as we wish, work where we wish and do business where we wish. I see no reason for some blanket identity card that will serve only to make it that much easier for Big Brother to keep an eye on me.

[HFishbine]

21. Amen!

And I see your question goes unanswered. "Why do we need a national identity card?"

Some of the posts here are tuely frightening -- a secret government database that the American public cannot view? Brilliant!

[Bridget Burke]

12. Why do we need national identity cards?

Please explain.

[JitterbugPerfume]

13. why do we need it?

to keep the riff raff in its proper place

of course

[baldguy]

15. If your not in the act of committing a crime,

you should be able to freely go anywhere, anytime you choose WITHOUT needing to show your identity papers or get permission of the "authorities". With a National Identity card in place, and with the proper information technology, they could come up with ANY excuse to haul you in and confine you - and it would all be legal.

Do you want to be labeled a criminal simply because your patterns of movement, or purchasing habits are labeled "suspicious" by John Ashcroft?

[Zorra]

17. Hey, wouldn't an electronic chip implant be better? Then the government

could just keep track of us everywhere we go. No muss, no silly fuss with having to carry a card around everywhere we go.

Anyone that refuses the implant could be forbidden to participate in economic activities or be given corporate state benefits because they are a non-supporter of the corporate state. People that receive the implant could be identified by a mark, such as a "666", on their forehead or hand.

(sarcasm (?) off)

I was born on this earth as a free person. I already know who I am. I do not need any papers to tell me who I am, or to prove to others who I am. I have every right as a sovereign human being to not be forced to carry papers proving who I am, nor to show papers to any person or governmental or economic body to prove to them who I am.

People that do not know who they are can carry papers with them if that is their wish. I have no wish to interfere with the rights and liberties of others, and do not want them to interfere with mine.

[Lerkfish]

19. Mark of the Beast, but more insidious than that...

implanted ID chips are ALREADY IN USE in Mexico City govt. buildings. So what? you say?
Let's just say Bush succeeds to a third term and declares elections moot. Lets say you protest that. Let's say the riot police have portable scanners and catalog the "dissidents".
Let's say that data is transmitted to grocery stores, hospitals, places of employment. Let's say an alarm goes off when you go to those places, Identifying you as an enemy of the state. Let's just say it makes it easier to shoot enemies of the state on sight, or to round them up for reeducation centers.

Paranoid? you betchyur sweet butt. That doesn't make me wrong.

The ONLY advantage to ANYONE of a surgically implanted chip is to prevent access to the person so tagged, otherwise all other forms of id are just fine.

[HFishbine]

22. Well said

With minds like yours, there's still hope.

[BattyDem]

18. "Show me your papers"

http://www.house.gov/paul/tst/tst2004/tst090604.htm

http://civilliberty.about.com/b/a/111603.htm