I hate to say it, but Bush may save America from a terrible mistake made by our legislature.
Congressman Ron Paul Denounces New National ID Bill
The U.S. House and Senate have passed a sweeping new intelligence bill
that contains provisions for a de facto national ID card. Congress
passed the bill despite having only a few hours to read the 3,000-plus
pages final version.
During the House debate, libertarian U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) rose
to the floor to denounce the bill, particularly the national ID
provisions.
?National ID cards are not proper in a free society,? Paul declared.
?This is America, not Soviet Russia. The federal government should never
be allowed to demand papers from American citizens, and it certainly
has no constitutional authority to do so.
?A national identification card, in whatever form it may take, will
allow the federal government to inappropriately monitor the movements and
transactions of every American,? Paul continued. ?History shows that
governments inevitably use such power in harmful ways. The 9-11
commission, whose recommendations underlie this bill, has called for *internal*
screening points where identification will be demanded. Domestic travel
restrictions are the hallmark of authoritarian states, not free
nations. It is just a matter of time until those who refuse to carry the new
licenses will be denied the ability to drive or board an airplane.
?Nationalizing standards for drivers licenses and birth certificates,
and linking them together via a national database, creates a national ID
system pure and simple. Proponents of the national ID understand that
the public remains wary of the scheme, so they attempt to claim they?re
merely creating new standards for existing state IDs. Nonsense! This
legislation imposes federal standards in a federal bill, and it creates a
federalized ID regardless of whether the ID itself is still stamped
with the name of your state.
?Those who are willing to allow the government to establish a
Soviet-style internal passport system because they think it will make us safer
are terribly mistaken,? Paul concluded. ?Subjecting every citizen to
surveillance and screening points actually will make us less safe, not in
the least because it will divert resources away from tracking and
apprehending terrorists and deploy them against innocent Americans! Every
conservative who believes in constitutional restraints on government
should reject the authoritarian national ID card and the nonsensical
intelligence bill itself.?
Unfortunately, Republicans and Democrats alike failed to heed Paul?s
warning. The bill was passed by the House 336-75 with 67 of the
dissenters Republicans defying strong pressure from President Bush. The bill
then passed the Senate 89-2. It could be signed by the president by
week's end.
Interestingly, just one day before the U.S. House vote, the British
government also announced plans to introduce biometric national ID card
starting in 2008. According to Prime Minister Tony Blair: "With
terrorism, illegal immigration and organized crime operating with so much
greater sophistication, identity cards in my judgment are long overdue."
Opponents say the battle against a national ID, and the fast-growing
national security state that supports such tyranny, will continue.
(Sources: ?Congressman Paul Denounces National ID Card,?
http://www.house.gov/paul/press/press2004/pr120704.htm
British National ID:
http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/197119-1737-010.html )
* * *
?Not even considering the idea??
?The White House will not pursue a national identification card system,
despite renewed clamor from pockets of government and industry
following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ?We are not even considering the
idea,? said a Bush spokesman on Thursday.?
-- InfoWorld, September 27, 2001
* * *
Congressman Ron Paul Denounces New National ID Bill
The U.S. House and Senate have passed a sweeping new intelligence bill
that contains provisions for a de facto national ID card. Congress
passed the bill despite having only a few hours to read the 3,000-plus
pages final version.
During the House debate, libertarian U.S. Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas) rose
to the floor to denounce the bill, particularly the national ID
provisions.
?National ID cards are not proper in a free society,? Paul declared.
?This is America, not Soviet Russia. The federal government should never
be allowed to demand papers from American citizens, and it certainly
has no constitutional authority to do so.
?A national identification card, in whatever form it may take, will
allow the federal government to inappropriately monitor the movements and
transactions of every American,? Paul continued. ?History shows that
governments inevitably use such power in harmful ways. The 9-11
commission, whose recommendations underlie this bill, has called for *internal*
screening points where identification will be demanded. Domestic travel
restrictions are the hallmark of authoritarian states, not free
nations. It is just a matter of time until those who refuse to carry the new
licenses will be denied the ability to drive or board an airplane.
?Nationalizing standards for drivers licenses and birth certificates,
and linking them together via a national database, creates a national ID
system pure and simple. Proponents of the national ID understand that
the public remains wary of the scheme, so they attempt to claim they?re
merely creating new standards for existing state IDs. Nonsense! This
legislation imposes federal standards in a federal bill, and it creates a
federalized ID regardless of whether the ID itself is still stamped
with the name of your state.
?Those who are willing to allow the government to establish a
Soviet-style internal passport system because they think it will make us safer
are terribly mistaken,? Paul concluded. ?Subjecting every citizen to
surveillance and screening points actually will make us less safe, not in
the least because it will divert resources away from tracking and
apprehending terrorists and deploy them against innocent Americans! Every
conservative who believes in constitutional restraints on government
should reject the authoritarian national ID card and the nonsensical
intelligence bill itself.?
Unfortunately, Republicans and Democrats alike failed to heed Paul?s
warning. The bill was passed by the House 336-75 with 67 of the
dissenters Republicans defying strong pressure from President Bush. The bill
then passed the Senate 89-2. It could be signed by the president by
week's end.
Interestingly, just one day before the U.S. House vote, the British
government also announced plans to introduce biometric national ID card
starting in 2008. According to Prime Minister Tony Blair: "With
terrorism, illegal immigration and organized crime operating with so much
greater sophistication, identity cards in my judgment are long overdue."
Opponents say the battle against a national ID, and the fast-growing
national security state that supports such tyranny, will continue.
(Sources: ?Congressman Paul Denounces National ID Card,?
http://www.house.gov/paul/press/press2004/pr120704.htm
British National ID:
http://www.indystar.com/articles/7/197119-1737-010.html )
* * *
?Not even considering the idea??
?The White House will not pursue a national identification card system,
despite renewed clamor from pockets of government and industry
following the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks. ?We are not even considering the
idea,? said a Bush spokesman on Thursday.?
-- InfoWorld, September 27, 2001
* * *
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