Return to Article: Homeland Security chief vows to move forward with ID law
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40343
I don't mind an unalterable ID but I object to the GPS chip. It is an assault on our privacy. They could use some bio-metric feature to make sure the holder of the ID is the right person.
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36377
I think you are all overreacting. The only thing that changes when an individual goes to the DMV under the REAL ID act is that you bring your birth certificate instead of SS card. Is that too much to ask to plug a security hole which may lessen a future terrorist attack?
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32563
Guys, Whatever happens and the citizens become 'unmanageable", the Gov. knows it must act as a militant agent to make sure we don't hurt ourselves, or worse...the money flow. We can't be trusted in their eyes any more than they can trust outsiders. Power is given and power is missused every time. We WILL see the National ID, and we WILL comply or die. You can run, but you cannot hide. That is what we have created of democracy by watching too many sports games while others were planning our downfall.
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31086
We can be nation of criminals, I will never report to the DMV for this ID. I think most people feel the same way. If we all stick together for a change there will be little the government can do about it. doesn't matter if it's real ID or not paying your taxes. They can't arrest everyone. The government needs to be afraid of us for a change.
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31005
It could be a short step from Real ID to "Papers, bitte." or an Internal Passport.
There are other, more effective solutions.
First, as the rental companies do, no Credit or Debit card, no Ticket. This way, the people doing the checking are those who really know how, the Credit companies.
Second, get back to work on scaling down the Welfare State. With that magnet removed, a lot of illegals will legally stay home.
Third, the Fourteenth Amendment was intended to secure the Rights of Citizenship for the former slaves after the Civil War. It was never intended to create a special class of "Anchor Babies". This can be cured via legislation, if enough spines can be found under the Dome.
Fourth: Build the Fence. The law already exists. That means if the Executive Branch isn't building it, malfeasance exists.
Finally, enforce the existing laws, starting with the illegal aliens who have broken other laws. Newark, NJ comes to mind at this point. This is where "Real ID" comes to play. When these people are deported, collect the biometrics and store them in the data base. If they show up again, remember that fence we are supposed to be building?
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30863
The Department of Homeland Security needs to be abolished, along with the IRS, the NEA, and other unnecessary and non-productive agencies.
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30558
First, close the boarders - build that darn fence, then worry about a secure DL that won't work anyway as someone else pointed out.
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30544
This could be the next tactic of the Bush administration in getting an Amnesty Bill passed.
If they get a panic going in business and then get a panic going in the public, through the use of the media, they could appear to sway opinion in their favor.
I already see a sort of panic on the rise anyway. The economy appears to be correcting itself to all of the scams and lawlessness.
We've run up the price of our homes just like we did stock in the thirties. We were willing to out-borrow the next. It works okay on the way up. Not so great on the way down.
Then you've got the presses full speed to finance all of the wars.
I have seen this sort of article over and over recently.
If this is a trick, I would expect a huge backlash to follow their actions.
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30532
For all those who say that the federal government has no right to tell the states how to issue driver's licenses, you're right. However, by the same token, the states have no right to federal funds, which should be withheld from states that don't cooperate in fighting illegal immigration.
You want to issue driver's licenses to anyone, including illegal aliens? Fine, go right ahead, but don't complain when the flow of federal dollars to your state dries up as well!
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30528
We have a hodgepodge of government ID documents. Draft cards, SS card, Medicare card, Medicare D card, Medicaid card, AFDC, SSI, welfare card, VA ID card, military ID card loaded with data about you, dog tags, state issued driver's license, if you fly, you have an FAA pilot's license, state issued power boat license, soon add a Coast Guard permit, passport, border crossing ID card, voter ID card, government employee ID (sometimes several, despite PHSD 12) if you are an alien you have a Visa or Green Card and any or all of the preceding, including a voter ID card(s).
There are de facto ID's tracked by corporations, who share information with other corporations. Examples are credit cards, that track how much you spend and pay back, what you buy and when and where you buy it; RFID's for your car (EZ-PASS), debit cards, health insurance, prescription plan cards, RFID's that get you entry to buildings and track your comings and goings, search engines that recall what you query, GPS on your rental car, GPS in your phone, all ID's of you.
The time to worry about privacy has come and gone. When Hezbollah's agents are running a credit card or Medicaid scam and need your personal information, I am sure they get it. The concept of states' rights without states' responsibility became intolerable long ago. If a terrorist gets on an airplane with a poorly backstopped New Hampshire driver's license and kills 3,000 people in New York or Los Angeles, will New York lawyers have a cause of action against New Hampshire citizens who live free while others die? It hurts to say this, but they will try, and I think prevail.
The US needs to do what other countries have done; a well backstopped national ID was needed 6 years ago. Such a document could be used to eliminate other government documents outlined above and protect against ID theft. The need to reform immigration and the built in excuses Congress gives employers for hiring illegal aliens could go away if there was a national ID card. Of course DOJ would have to get behind draconian sanctions for the misuse of the national ID card, particularly by non-citizens. Don't worry, won't happen, not politically correct.
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30458
I personally know at least 25 illegal immigrants with drivers licenses. The issue is not with them driving really but rather that voters registration among other things are linked to DL. All of the illegals that I know that have DL, are also registered voters. Do you really want 20 million illegal aliens making your vote not count? Ours is a nation of laws, why are we letting Mexican (and other countries) nationals vote in our elections?
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30453
"Sad to say, I'm on my way", in the words of the great calypso song. It's been about 231 years since 1776, and people are still whining about freedom. Well guess what, the Cold War & Vietnam shot that all to heck. "States rights" are simply the left-over colonies rights from the British Empire. The Civil War finally established the preminenance of the federal government, period! Universal problems demand uniform(read federal)solutions.
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30444
It is imperative that you have one ID for drivers license's, this is a good idea. The one reason why this country fails as a nation is that there are to many different states with do many different ID's especially to many different LAWS, RULES and REGULATION's. It is time to have one set of LAWS, RULES and REGULATIONs that should be Federal Law, one Law Enforcement Service, one Country.
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30432
Surely we can think through ways to fight illegal immigration and terror without:
1. A massive increase in government power: If it were not such an increase, there would be no push for such a change...
2. A continued undermining of federalism: Federalism is a great idea who time to return has come. It is a Constitutional ideal we should pursue.
3. An undermining of the 4th amendment: My person should be secure from searches and seizures.
If, indeed, biometrics is used someday, the government will have seized incredible personal information of innocent people.
This measure is not really voluntary because REAL ID would control one's access to banking and travel. The individual will have to have ongoing "permission" to access his own hard-earned money.
4. An increased ability to track Americans in real-time: The ease of real-time surveillance will be immeasurable advanced.
5. An erosion of the presumption of innocence: Is the individual "innocent-until-proven guilty" or "suspect-until-properly-identified?"
6. A radically increased ability to enforce arbitrary (future) rules: Do we really believe politicians will resist using such an infrastructure that makes regulation enforcement and addition so easy?
The so-called "minimum standards" will increase--along with a certain increase in uses for the card.
and
7. Instant federal approval on whether you and I can earn money. The "employee verification" system in the defunct immigration bill was tied to REAL ID. This aspect of immigration enforcement is sure to raise its head again. This is an incredible power.
These things, I believe, are some of the long-term results. The "What Next?" effect.
I'm all for stemming the tide of illegal immigration. But I don't want to throw our freedoms into the dump to do it.
It's ironic that the so-called conservatives are pushing for REAL ID. These "conservatives" should quit talking about their belief in "limited government."
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30430
It's amazing how the federal government is trying to make all states the same. Every state is entitle to have their communities laws amended towards their needs and wants. If Montana(?) wishes to not have a speed limit during the day then so be it.That's their right and I don't think anyone living outside their community should impose legislation as to how they should live. Same thing with the legal limit to drive which the federal government gave masses grants away to any state that lowered the legal limit. If some states which to operate off of a different point system then so be it. Besides aren't there bigger issues to content with then drivers licenses?
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30428
New Mexico will soon be requiring a social security card to get a driver's license. This is an indication that the new ID will be more than a driver's license.
This is clearly a step in the wrong direction. We do not need to give up a bit of freedom for security. I do not trust those who say we must rush to give up freedom.
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30422
"Your papers! Show me your papers, NOW!"
Okay, sorry about the drama but the extremes between those posters mentioning dictatorships and others with tongue-in-cheek quips about subdermal gps devices has me in a frenzy.
Now, most readers are good federal, civil servants with enough experience in "the system" to know of people that have the best of intentions but live for the rules... they take "the rules" to be and end unto themselves. I suppose it is something in the DNA...
Anyone that has ever watched "COPS" must surely have noticed how the officers almost always become preachy towards the detainee and/or suspect? No, I'm not saying the evil aren't evil, just that the LEO's job is to either arrest, ticket or release a suspect, not prostilize - again, I suppose it is something in the DNA.
How long do you think it'll take before well intentioned LEO's are pushing to set aside probable cause requirements (already very thin req's) completly to allow for standard ID checks at their discretion? Then, what's next? Whatever it is, it's...in the DNA.
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30416
We already have a standardized national ID -- It's called a U.S. Passport. Of course the Federal government can't be bothered to hire enough staff to get those produced in a timely manner, so let's just pawn the expense and bother off on the states. That way, the Feds can pretend to protect us from terrorist while using our tax dollars to give tax breaks and farm subsidies to millionaires.
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30410
I rather think the Republican's have the right idea here. Keep people frightened and get them to give more and more control to the central government. Makes keeping track of everyone easier, and pretty soon people will be carefully self-policing what they say, do, and think. Less time/money/effort needed then to keep them docile and in line. This terrorism thing may be the best thing that's happened to us since the rise of communism.
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30409
Finally someone with backbone. You conspiracy theorists are a hoot. "An ID card will lead to the down fall of modern civilization." Gimme a break. We already have a national ID its the social security card, unfortunately its not secure. If we had an automatic records check with SSNs (like we do with credit cards) we wouldn't need a National ID. But since every criminal and illegal can get a phony SSN, we need to have a National ID. Any State that refuses to cooperate automatically should get no federal funding. Simple. Period. Exclamation Point.
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30400
We are about the only developed nation that does not have a national ID. The reason we have millions of people in the country, whom we know nothing about, is because they can live, travel and work freely in the USA, because we have no national ID. These laws are a good start down that road.
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30399
Sign me up for the national ID. it may not be the ultimate safety factor, but a step in the right direction.
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30395
I am amazed that many of the comments implcity trust the federal government to do the right thing for our citizens . The same incompetents who allowed the terrorists in the US in the first place USCIS Department of Homeland Security are now thought to have the sense of what it takes to provide security to the American People. Its just another excuse to waste massive amounts of money on hairbrained proposals meanwhile we move that much closer to a a Orwellian state
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30378
OMG the sky is falling we all in PRIZON NOW... Give the alarmist garbage a rest. It's a standardized license if you aren't an illegal immigrant I fail to see the issue here. I could see if we were all lining up for some sub dermal gps device but thats still a ways off.
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30377
States' rights? See how fast a state comes crying to the federal government when there's a disaster or terrorist attack. 'States rights' go out the window then, and it becomes "Help me, Uncle Sam." If a particular state has a less secure I.D. then a would-be terrorist is more likely to get his license there. Now he's got an official I.D. he can use nationwide. Now it's not a state problem, it's an American problem. Plus, no one is making you get a license. It is a voluntary process.
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30376
Whoever believes that a national ID will help solve our security problems is a fool. It will only hasten our decline into dictatorship. Wake up America!
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30360
Someone needs to explain to Mr. Chertoff that "terrorists" can make illegal IDs as fast as he can make legal ones. We have to pay for yet another expensive federal attempt to reduce our freedom of movement and reduce control of Constitutional rights of the states. Is the government protecting us or itself from us?
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30354
We "will" require identity papers and then numbers tattooed on your body or tracking chip implants. Wake up America!
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30344
The REAL ID program will not only help in the fight against illegal aliens, but also in identity fraud and the apprehension of criminals.
It is definitely worth it. The states can recoup the costs by increasing fees.
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30343
it's "Homeland Insecurity", and how dare the the federal government try to usurp State's rights! It's called a power grab and it will eventually lead to the mark of the beast. Be not deceived, we are not the only nation getting a so called "real-id", it's happening all over the globe-and soon the NWO will determine your right to peace and happiness. So say goodbye to freedom, and hell-o to bondage.
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