National ID Card?

[Lost Cause]

I get the heebeegeebies when I hear of this topic being discussed by our representatives. They say it is for our "security" to prevent terrorism. They obviously don't know that the 9/11 murderers were here LEGALLY! Don't tell them about McVey!

*Are you comfortable with a National ID, whether it's an internal passport, or a linked drivers license database?

*If you are American, does it bother you that in the future you'll be asked to "show your papers"?

*To our world neighbors- if you have a National ID, what are the pros and cons of the system?


(*Paraphrasing* Benjamin Franklin in 1789, "Those who surrender freedom for security deserve neither!)

 

[Black_Bird]

*Are you comfortable with a National ID, whether it's an internal passport, or a linked drivers license database?

Yes.

*If you are American, does it bother you that in the future you'll be asked to "show your papers"?

No. We already have something along those lines... Social Security cards - drivers ID cards. *Shrugs* Just another card in my wallet.

(*Paraphrasing* Benjamin Franklin in 1789, "Those who surrender freedom for security deserve neither!)

I think he was refering more to the freedom to bare arms, free speech, freedom of religion, etc. Every country needs a method of identifying their own citizens... The US is no exception.

Oh, you're afraid of "Big Brother"? There will always be people interested in persecuting others based on their beliefs and lifestyles. Luckly, there will always be those who are fighting against that. This very website is an example of what happens when we fight for those rights.

 

[Weird Harold]

*Are you comfortable with a National ID, whether it's an internal passport, or a linked drivers license database?

I'd be very surprised if the US has "internal pasports" in my (or my grandchildren's) lifetime -- there is just no need for one.

I would have no objection to a national linkage of driver's lisense database in principle. It's something hat has been needd for a long time -- if only to prevent people from getting a new license when they've been banned from driving for cause.

My biggest concern about the proposed changes in drivers lisences is they're concentrating on proving the lisence belongs to the person it was issued to -- NOT on insuring that the person it was issued to is the person they claim to be.

I really don't know how that can be made foolproof though. I'm sure that any one of you could get a copy of my birth certificate, and getting my social security number wouldn't be much harder if you set your mind to it. That would give almost anyone the ability to get a driver's license in my name which would conclusively prove they are me.

A national identity card would make such identity theft harder than it is now, but until they're issued at birth like SSNs are, then it isn't going to stop people from getting and using fraudulent identity papers of any kind.

Another problem with an identity card of any kind, is that is absolutely worthless unless the person is physically present to present it and be compared to it. It doesn't do a damned thing for identity fraud perpetrated over the phone or web -- yet.

 

[Jersey Citizen]

I'm not worried

about centralizing i.d. I mean, we're already being tracked and traced (if they want to). Driver's License, SS card, passport. My beef is: Is it worth the effort? It seems as though it's pretty easy to falsify docs now (if you want to), or to ignore real ones (like the Secret Service man who was kicked off the plane because the pilot had never seen a Sec Service ID before).
Got ya coming and going.