Free govt.-issued ID to all Americans?

[Bob Blaylock]

I said the DEA, not the FDA.

So you did. My mistake. TLAs sometimes confuse me.

In any event, I think my point is even stronger with regard to the DEA than the FDA.

As I mentioned before, Prohibition against alcohol was put into place by a Constitutional amendment. It was clearly understood, at the time, that the federal government had no legitimate authority to regulate or prohibit alcohol, and that the only legitimate way to do so at the national level was to amend the Constitution to give the federal government this authority, hence the Eighteenth Amendment.

Likewise, the federal government has no legitimate authority to regulate or prohibit drugs. The DEA and its purpose are unconstitutional. If we want drugs to be restricted, regulated, or prohibited at the national level, then this can only be legitimately accomplished by amending the Constitution to give the federal government this power, as was done to prohibit alcohol.

 

[Tigger]

I could get behind something like this because it would simplify my life. Ideally I would only want the most basic information, such as photo and perhaps name, physically visible on the card. Everything else should be encoded on an RFID chip or something. When buying beer the 7-11 clerk doesn’t need to know your address. He should have a reader that just displays the person’s age. The EMTs should be able to use it to pull up your medical history. I could see such a thing making life easier. But it is also true it could be abused. It would have to be implemented carefully.

No medical data. I'm talking about a card with Government-Issued Information only. Yer, implementation would have to be carefully overseen, but it is reasonably possible.

My biggest concern about a national ID card is abuse. For example, they make you provide your ID number to whatever bank you do business with. Then if you haven't paid a parking ticket, the government uses that as an excuse to freeze your assets or maybe they just help themselves to whatever amount of money the ticket is supposed to be for.

If I provide that State ID number to a bank in order to open an account, how does that give the Government access to the account? The Federal ID would NOT be your credit, debit, or ATM card as well. It would be for Government-Issued information only.

Why not simply use your current, state issued, photo ID, that does not include SSN on it? Placing way too much on any one ID allows for very easy identity theft, already a problem. No need to reinvent the wheel, simply include citizenship/alien status and possibly a NG (no gun) indication on the current state ID (for certifiably insane or convicted felon status) to make it easier for Walmart morons to let you buy ammo. The most critical info is the picture, age, name, address and the citizenship status.

I'm not all that concerned about the ID Theft issue. I turn 38 tomorrow and I have NEVER in my life lost or had stolen a wallet, ID, or anything of that sort. NEVER. Not even a junior high school ID card. Those people who are irresponsible enough to lose (or fail to carry) these things deserve some level of humiliation and punishment for doing so. I'd like to be able to replace the 6-8 cards in my wallet with ONE Government ID Card. It would make things so much easier.

 

[Surtr]

You're making huge assumptions. You don't know they're incompetent to understand issues. This economy sucks. Many people are homeless through no fault of their own. Frankly, I find it shocking that anyone would support denying them their voting rights.

If a person can't even care for themselves, then they can't possibly understand what's best for the nation.

 

[radcen]

I'm not all that concerned about the ID Theft issue. I turn 38 tomorrow and I have NEVER in my life lost or had stolen a wallet, ID, or anything of that sort. NEVER. Not even a junior high school ID card.

I have a good friend who has a mindset like this... if it has never happened to him, it doesn't exist. Yes, by God, the life experience of a single individual speaks for the entire world.

If a person can't even care for themselves, then they can't possibly understand what's best for the nation.

I don't know. I know many people who are very intelligent, and successful, and quite able to care for themselves, and I wouldn't trust them to know what's good for the nation with the proverbial 10 foot pole. Sometimes a "simple" person might have simple answers, and sometimes I think we screw ourselves by avoiding simplicity in favor of unnecessary complexity.

 

[Tigger]

I have a good friend who has a mindset like this... if it has never happened to him, it doesn't exist. Yes, by God, the life experience of a single individual speaks for the entire world.

You know why it's never happened to me? I do. It's because I go out of my way to pay attention to secure my belongings, not hang out in areas where crime is a problem, and to be prepared to deal with it if necessary. The main reason people lose their wallets, bags, and other personal effects is simply this.... INCOMPETENCE. Nothing more.

 

[Surtr]

I don't know. I know many people who are very intelligent, and successful, and quite able to care for themselves, and I wouldn't trust them to know what's good for the nation with the proverbial 10 foot pole. Sometimes a "simple" person might have simple answers, and sometimes I think we screw ourselves by avoiding simplicity in favor of unnecessary complexity.

The problems the nation is facing aren't simple.

 

[radcen]

The problems the nation is facing aren't simple.

They could be. We've made them more complex than they needed to be.

 

[YoungConserv]

If voter Id is racist then are gun laws too?

 

[Phys251]

So you did. My mistake. TLAs sometimes confuse me.

In any event, I think my point is even stronger with regard to the DEA than the FDA.

As I mentioned before, Prohibition against alcohol was put into place by a Constitutional amendment. It was clearly understood, at the time, that the federal government had no legitimate authority to regulate or prohibit alcohol, and that the only legitimate way to do so at the national level was to amend the Constitution to give the federal government this authority, hence the Eighteenth Amendment.

Likewise, the federal government has no legitimate authority to regulate or prohibit drugs. The DEA and its purpose are unconstitutional. If we want drugs to be restricted, regulated, or prohibited at the national level, then this can only be legitimately accomplished by amending the Constitution to give the federal government this power, as was done to prohibit alcohol.

Fair enough. You are being consistent, after all.

 

[Surtr]

They could be. We've made them more complex than they needed to be.

imo, the most pressing issues are the economy and the wars (Iraq is still ongoing, though downgraded and out of the papers). Neither of which are simple due to their multifaceted natures.

 

[American]

So much for the concept of voting RIGHTS.

You also have a right to life, but the govt doesn't owe you food.

 

[Phys251]

You also have a right to life, but the govt doesn't owe you food.

So what are you saying? That the government can take away your food? Or does it ration out that food in the first place?