11/19/05
In May of 2005, congress made a law, clearly violating our Fourth
and 10th Amendment rights. It will set up federal guidelines and
mandate that all 50 states standardize their drivers' license by
2008 to include much of a citizen's private information, which will
be made available to government agencies, (and to businesses on a
supposed limited basis). This data would include Social Security
numbers, driver's records and probably fingerprints and maybe even
retinal scans and DNA. If you do not have this new license, you will
not be able to board a plane, open a federal reserve bank account,
collect Social Security, shop at a store, buy beer or wine, etc.
This makes the Real ID a "de facto" national ID. And worse; all your
movements could, and presumably would be monitored.
This ID will not curtail identity theft or terrorism; we will just
have supplied them with an enormous database to hack into. It will
be costly and time consuming. You will have to stand in line
personally with the proper papers at the DMV, and the cost for this
license would be $60. If you agree that a national ID is a good
idea, why not leave out the inconvenience of always having to
produce this documentation, which could be stolen. Then, all you
have to do to live, drive, travel, work and shop in America, is have
someone scan your neck. The ACLU provides a form letter, available
online, to ask your congressmen to repeal this law. I agree with
Benjamin Franklin, who said, "Those who give up essential liberty to
obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor
safety."
Ellen Ricketson Enfield
Originally published November 11, 2005
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