The concept of a National ID card has been around for quite some time, back to at least the creation of the Social Security Number (SSN), and while (SSN) is a form of identification, it is not a National ID card in the sense that is being promoted in our time. The push for a National ID card in the modern era started back in the 80's during the Reagan administration. Reagan, being the type of man he was, knew exactly what this would lead to and flat out rejected the concept. It was brought up in the Clinton administration as well, and while opposition to it was not as strong as Reagan's, Clinton also did not sign off on a National ID card. Unfortunately, though the times have changed, I feel we can no longer trust our Federal government to operate in our best interest; it has severely broken with the Constitution and the ideals that founded this union. After 9/11 everyone was scared, angry, wanted protection from terrorism, and in that hysteria, most people did not care what it was or how it worked. As a result we got the PATRIOT Act written two years before 9/11 that gives the government the authority, among other things, to enter your house when you're not there and to take anything. It's called a "sneak and peak" (and they say trust us on healthcare). The Military Commission Act (MCA) was passed that has language so vague that it could catch average citizens in the category of a "threat" to the government and warrant the same treatment our government gives terrorists. During the process of making us safer a National ID card also became law in 2005 that was tacked onto a tsunami relief and military spending bill as a national security measure meant to guard against terrorism, illegal immigration and identity theft. Being attached to the type of bill that it was guaranteed no opposition, and so it sailed right through Congress straight to the President where it became law.
I will now remind everyone at this juncture what a couple of founding fathers has to say about Liberty and Security:
"I would rather be exposed to the inconveniencies attending too much liberty than to those attending too small a degree of it."
-Thomas Jefferson
"Those willing to sacrifice Liberty for Security will get neither and deserve neither"
-Benjamin Franklin
The issue of REAL ID and all it entails is too complex to give in this medium, but I will give a brief overview and then direct you to a few sites where you can get all the dirty details. REAL ID is not just a National ID card but much more as it is an INTERNATIONAL ID card. When REAL ID became law, DHS had a non-negotiated rule making process, and so they inserted international regulations. The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), a UN agency, are the ones charged with setting the ISOs for identification programs of the various participating countries, and there are a lot that are participating. The American Association of Motor Vehicle Administrators (AAMVA) will be the entity that will see to the implementation of REAL ID. AAMVA is American in name only. As they state on their website they are an international organization. Then there are the corporations, most prominently, a company called L1-Identity Solutions. This corporation has a monopoly on identification cards (i.e. drivers licenses) like Microsoft does on computer operating systems.
The required data on these cards will not just be our physical attributes for identification purposes but our religious, political, educational, medical, financial, sexual, firearms, and biometric data will be on this card. Considering the fact that all our information will be on this card and that the state DMV databases will have to be linked and consolidated, the information will be held primarily by one corporation, and our government will be sharing it with any "nation" of the world such as Canada, England, Mexico, Australia, Russia, China, or Iran to name very few. There is no possible way for our information to remain secure. The more information or data on us that is compiled and shared, the more likely it will be stolen (130 million credit card numbers stolen). Note that one of the pieces of data that will be collected is biometric. When most people think biometric, they think fingerprints, iris scans, DNA; however, the biometric of choice is facial recognition because it can be taken without your knowledge or consent. A mathematical algorithm will be used based on your facial features to assign you a specific number. Law enforcement personnel do not need numbers to identify you, but a camera and computer surely does, and we are well on our way to being a surveillance society more than you think we are.
Hopefully, after reading up to this point you can see the multiple violations to the US Constitution, but just in case you haven't, I'll give a quick rundown for you:
* REAL ID violates the 1st Amendment in regard to religion. If you are a Christian as mentioned in Revelation 13 of the Bible, we will all be forced one day to have the Mark of the Beast (MOB.) SSN was not that as it is a US voluntary benefit program (yes, it is); whereas with the international regulations, REAL ID is the precursor to something that will apply to the entire world, like the MOB. The Amish and Mennonites are opposed to having their image taken in certain instances.
* REAL ID violates the 4th Amendment as we have the right not to have any of our information taken, let alone biometric data without our consent or warrant. REAL ID is a blatant violation of our right to privacy.
* REAL ID violates the 10th Amendment as there is no provision in the Constitution for the Federal government to dictate to the state how they should issue drivers licenses or ID cards. As it stands right now, it is an unfunded mandate that will cost somewhere in the neighborhood of $11-$20 BILLION dollars just to implement. They have absolutely no clue how much this is going to cost us and in the current economy, we just can't afford a program such as this that violates our Civil Liberties. This not only violates State's Sovereignty but the Sovereignty of this Union with the international regulations.
There has been a growing effort within the States to fight REAL ID; the ACLU and the ACLJ, two organizations normally opposed to each other are united in their opposition to REAL ID. Because of this opposition the Federal government had to push back the implementation date of May 11th, 2008 to December 31st, 2009. Last year in Kentucky we had Democrats and Republicans sponsor legislation together against REAL ID in the Senate and House. Unfortunately only the House version passed when both needed to. Hopefully this year we can pass anti-REAL ID legislation and the Sovereignty resolution to protect the Citizens of the Commonwealth of Kentucky.
Recently the Obama administration along with the help of Senators Lieberman and McCain has pushed for the passage of the PASS ACT S.1261. There has been so much opposition they are literally trying to rebrand it, but it is the same thing. There is still biometrics, international regulations, and a non-negotiated rule making process for DHS. Considering the recent DHS reports commissioned by the Bush Administration and released by Obama Administration blatantly condemning the left (anti-war, environmentalists, and animal rights activists) and the right (pro-gun, pro-life, anti-illegal immigration) the American public should have serious concerns about their Civil Liberties. Agree or disagree with their politics take a moment to watch these two videos of Judge Andrew Napolitano and Rachel Maddow. Now after viewing those two videos it is plain to see we don't have a government we can trust, and REAL ID, coupled with technology becomes REALLY DANGEROUS as the government will eventually know everything about you and where you go and what you're doing, like going to TEA Parties and Town Hall meetings. Considering that terrorists and illegals will not apply for a REAL ID/PASS ID/NATIONAL ID/INTERNATIONAL ID; just who does the government really consider the threat and who are they really protecting, us or them. It is time for us to realize that this is not conservatives vs. liberals but the US Citizens vs. the Political Elite in our government, federal and state.
There is so much more to REAL ID that I just cannot cover it all in a brief piece. For more information I suggest you go to the following websites:
www.stoprealidcoalition.com Download their action packet. There are multiple references to every claim made in this article concerning REAL ID.
www.realnightmare.com
http://epic.org/
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Real_id
www.en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Biometrics
www.unrealid.com
Also read these articles, there are many more out there but this is a start.
http://www.eff.org/deeplinks/2009/02/rfid-passports-scanned-car
http://epic.org/privacy/surveillance/spotlight/0907/
http://www.smartcardalliance.org/pages/publications-realid
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=25
http://www.thefreedomfaction.com/2009/08/chips-in-official-ids-raise-privacey.html An AP article that I can no longer find on the internet.
http://www.campaignforliberty.com/article.php?view=173
http://www.newswithviews.com/guest_opinion/guest128.htm Republican PA St House Rep Sam Rohrer
Kentucky Legislation:
www.kentuckyvotes.org/2007-HCR-122
www.kentuckyvotes.org/2009-HJR-133
www.kentuckyvotes.org/2009-SJR-73
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Saturday, July 4, 2009
FEDERAL LEGISLATION REAL ID ACTION ALERT: STOP THE PASS ACT S.1261
REAL ID ACTION ALERT: The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will be having hearings on the PASS Act S. 1261. The PASS Act WILL NOT REPEAL REAL ID as it is being billed. It will only repeal certain portions like Title ii and in the end be worse than REAL ID once the PASS Act is inserted. REAL ID will REMAIN Federal law and will be stronger than before if passed.
Both the ACLU and the ACLJ are opposing the Real ID Act and the PASS Act. (The ACLU and the ACLJ are the most prominent legal organizations on the ”left” and “right” respectively.)
Special interests groups are trying to force Democrats, Independents and Republicans to support this legislation. States have been and are working to ensure driver’s licenses are secure documents and have document integrity. The federal government, in spite of the states, wants to set international standards that are not needed. The federal government wants control of your state driver’s license. The federal government is bribing states to go along with its plans.
Our freedom and our rights are not for sale.
Some governors want to take the bribe money. The First, Fourth and Tenth Amendments are under attack. The Second Amendment will follow. This is not a partisan issue. All Americans must take action now.
· The PASS Act does not repeal the Real ID Act. It does repeal provisions of the Real ID Act; those provisions that are included in Title II of the Real ID Act 2005. The Real ID Act is still intact and is federal law.
- The PASS Act contains many of the most egregious aspects of the Real ID Act; including the requirement for a digital facial image/photograph that will be mandated to be internationally facial recognition compatible.
- There is not a federal law that prohibits the simultaneous use of CCTV/surveillance cameras and facial recognition technology in real time.
- The PASS Act will do nothing to provide a higher level of National security. Under the provisions of the PASS Act the documents used to obtain a driver’s license are not authenticated. These documents are called “breeder” documents.
- Although requirements for new databases and the linking of databases are not part of the PASS Act the fact remains through aamva.net and NLETS states can still have information contained in their state Department of Motor Vehicles made available to both federal and international law enforcement agencies without a court order.
- Two international agencies (AAMVA and the ICAO, an agency of the United Nations) were involved in U.S. policy and law - the Real ID Act 2005 and the newly proposed PASS Act. DHS has called AAMVA the “hub” and “backbone” of the Real ID Act. On AAMVA’s own web-site it proclaims it is an international organization that serves law enforcement and motor vehicle administrators.
- Both the Real ID Act and the PASS Act result in Americans being enrolled into a single global biometric identification system that links a person’s body to their ability to buy and sell.
The Senate Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs will be considering the legislation very soon. The committee members and their phone numbers are listed below. Ask your neighbors, friends, co-workers, relatives and everyone else you have contact with to make the calls as well.
16 CALLS, 16 MINUTES, FOR YOUR FREEDOM AND FUTURE GENERATIONS FREEDOM.
Senator Liberman 202-224-4041 Chairman
Senator Collins 202-224-2523
Senator Akaka 202-224-6361
Senator Bennet 202-224-5852
Senator Burris 202-224-2854
Senator Carper 202-224-2441
Senator Coburn 202-224-5754
Senator Ensign 202-224-6244
Senator Graham 202-224-5972
Senator Landrieu 202-224-5824
Senator Levin 202-224-6221
Senator McCain 202-224-2235
Senator McCaskill 202-224-6154
Senator Pryor 202-224-2354
Senator Tester 202-224-2644
Senator Voinovich 202-224-3353
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
