National ID -- Round 2

[LAGC]

Damn, the fascists are at it again!

http://www.computerworld.com/action/article.do?command=viewArticleBasic&taxonomyName=Privacy&articleId=9134404&taxonomyId=84&pageNumber=1

Widespread opposition to a 2005 bill designed to create a national standard for driver's licenses has prompted a revised version of the bill that no longer contains its most controversial provisions.

The proposed revision is called the "Providing for Additional Security in States' Identification" Act of 2009, or Pass ID Act, and was introduced in the U.S. Senate late on Monday by Senators Daniel Akaka (D-Hawaii), George Voinovich (R-Ohio), Patrick Leahy (D-VT), Jon Tester (D-MT), Max Baucus (D-MT) and Thomas Carper (D-DE).

The bill is a revised version of the Real ID Act of 2005, which was signed into law by then President Bush but the implementation of which has almost stopped amid cost concerns and fears that it could end up becoming a de facto national ID card.
..
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The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), which has been an ardent critic of Real ID, today expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed bill. It said in a statement that while Pass ID included some welcome privacy protections, the legislation "could ultimately resurrect the discredited Real ID Act and become the basis for a National ID."

[SpartanDem]

1. I've never got the big deal about a national id

plenty of western democratic countries have them, but the left wing seems to fear monger about this as much as the right wing does about reinstating the assault weapons ban.

[LAGC]

2. I just don't like the idea of the government tracking everything I do.

If it becomes standard, it can be used as a de-facto tracking device to record your whereabouts and activities. Even though credit cards have largely filled this role, for those of us who "stubbornly" stick with cash transactions and prefer to keep a low profile, its a gross invasion of privacy.

[SoCalDem]

4. If you've ever attended public school, bought anything on credit, or gone to a doctor

you ARE trackable, but anyone with a few bucks and an internet connection:)

[SoCalDem]

3. Surprisingly, the Homeland Security folks dropped the ball, big-time

Think about it.. It's September 15th, 2001. They had a perfect opportunity to say something like:

"Look people, these guys who destroyed the WTC were in our country for malevolent purposes, and even though they were here "legally", we lost track of them. We lose track of a LOT of people. The time has come for us all to grow up, and join the real world. All American citizens need to get a passport. You say YOU don;t travel, well fine.. You still need to get one, so that when you vote you can positively identify yourself as a citizen...Or if you ever need assistance, you can prove your citizenship. For the next TWO years, we are going to be adding staff to local post offices, subsidizing payments for the passports for poorer people, and by (insert date here) we'll have a better idea of exactly how many citizens we have, and every citizen will have the best id ever..and if a free out of country trip pops up for you, you;re good to go"

This could also have put the kibosh on the need for voter registration.. Show up with passport-in-hand, and a bill or rent receipt that identifies your correct address, and you should be able to vote..Join a "party" if you like, but no one should be denied the right to vote because they did not "sign up". No more ACORN-bashing, no more fudging vote numbers, because precincts may not be able to gauge how many they "need"..

[dixiegrrrrl]

5. The tracking chip inside of the ID card is the issue.

Well, one issue.
There is also the throw back to " your papers, pls" of dictatorships.
Mostly what you may be not getting is that a National ID is contrary to the idea of freedom we are
historically used to in this country.
Unfortunately, the passport which is now required is another computer chip tracking mechanism.
All new IDs, like all papers, can easily be forged or gotten around illegally, so it is not about
stopping terrorism, thieves, etc as much as it is about control of the population.

I know I have a "quaint" view. Soon as my generation ( us freedom luving boomers) die off,
all those who come after, having not learned the history we knew, will accept more and more restrictions on their independence. That was the whole point of dumbing down the schools.