Okay, call your Congresscritter. Now.
RealID is going to be signed into law, because it's attached to must-pass legislation. Perhaps it's already law as I write this.
So let's get it repealed on its lack of merit:
Go to it.
So let's get it repealed on its lack of merit:
- Security expert Bruce Schneier points out that RealID will actually make our licenses less secure.
- RealID is a de-facto national ID card. Whether we want a national ID card - there are arguments pro and con on this issue, it should be debated on its own merits. Many people do not want a national ID card. Such a card would not have prevented 9/11 as it occurred.
- If an issue is likely to lose in Congress because it won't withstand debate on its own merit, it's probably bad law. Passing laws is supposed to be hard.
- RealID was not debated on its own merits. This alone is reason enough to repeal RealID as passed.
- RealID as written is another unfunded mandate to the states.
- RealID will make our licenses less secure.
- RealID does nothing to get unlicensed illegal immigrants off the road or license them. It is therefore counterproductive to safety. Living as I do in Arizona, this is a big deal to me.
Go to it.
2 Comments:
Here's what I sent. Use your own words; do not just cut and paste from this message! Congressional staffs discount anything resembling a form letter. I'll be following up with something on paper as well. An actual letter has more weight than e-mail.
Here's mine:
Congressman Franks:
Now that the military has its supplemental funding, I urge you to support the repeal of the "Real ID" provisions of that legislation until such time as it can be debated on its own merits.
There are good reasons for and against this legislation. While I am in favor of standardized security, there are technical issues of this legislation that actually increase risks: specifically, the use of RFID tags in identification is not secure. I refer you and your staff to this article by notes security expert Bruce Schneier.
As a long time technology professional, I fully agree with the technical points made in that article.
And an issue as important as a national identification standard deserves full debate on its own merit.
I look forward to hearing from you on this issue.
- Patrick Connors
We're having something of the same push towards a national ID document here in the UK, and the debate is riddled with ill-considered claims, maybe even outright lies, on the part of the government.
And the countries with national ID systems, in Europe, are the countries which have, historically, relied on conscript armies.
At least, the ID system was essential to keep track of the reservists, so that millions of men could be mobilised for war.
It does prompt the question: how many reservists in the USA have "disappeared"? What really is the motive for tracking people?
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