When Congress passed the REAL ID ACT last year, federal politicians knew that a national ID was repugnant to many Americans. So instead, they slipped it in as a rider to a military spending bill (HR 1268) (HR 418) and then provided for grants of federal taxpayer money to compliant states.

Without this National ID, you won’t…
Drive your car
Board a plane, train, or bus
Enter any federal building
Open a bank account
Hold a job

The provisions of the bill are to go into effect in December 2009.

But no so fast!

Now many states are challenging or even rejecting completely this bill which is being advertised as being needed for national security. Let’s look at some facts about so-called “national ID” cards.

The Madrid bombings in March 2004 happened in a country with a national ID. British civil liberties group Privacy International studied the relationship between national ID cards and terrorism prevention finding that 80 percent of the 25 countries most adversely affected by terrorism since 1986 have national ID cards.

If REAL ID had been the law on 9/11, it would have had no influence on al-Qaida’s plan since the 9/11 terrorists were in the United States legally. They had legally issued drivers’ licenses and Social Security numbers.

If terrorists ever need a “false” REAL ID, U.S. immigration policy will not prevent them from obtaining one. The conflict between our demand for cheap labor and our tight lid on legal migration means there is an unending need for false documents. Time and time again across the U.S., state motor vehicle workers have been bribed by criminal networks that then feed documentation to illegal immigrants. REAL ID will not change this but, will instead, force us to rely on DMV workers for our security. Thats a scary thought.

Which states are challenging (or in some cases, rejecting altogether) these national ID’s? To date, they are:
Arkansas, Colorado, Georgia, Hawaii, Idaho, Illinois, Maine, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Dakota, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, and Washington

But rejecting these ID’s may be tough in some states since the acceptance of these ID’s comes with a perk….a huge wad of federally-funded money.

Mandating that all Americans carry a national ID is not a response to 9/11 or a preventive of terrorism. It would satisfy the federal government’s demand for control, not Americans’ genuine need for security. Law-abiding, native-born citizens should not pay the price for the evil intent and the wrongful acts of others.

If Congress wants Americans to carry a national ID, they should vote for it openly, not tack it on to another bill in yet one more attempt to deceive American citizens and take them one great step closer to a Police State.