Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.1 6/24/83; site whuxl.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxl!houxm!whuxl!wjm From: wjm@whuxl.UUCP (MITCHELL) Newsgroups: net.consumers,net.politics Subject: RE:RE:ID Message-ID: <179@whuxl.UUCP> Date: Mon, 20-Aug-84 13:08:55 EDT Article-I.D.: whuxl.179 Posted: Mon Aug 20 13:08:55 1984 Date-Received: Tue, 21-Aug-84 00:21:38 EDT Organization: Bell Communications Research, Inc. Lines: 46 ----- News saved at Mon, 20-Aug-84 13:05:18 EDTRevisiting the subject of ID cards (and the use of driver's licenses as same): My experience (and that of my friends) is that quite a few NON-COMMUNIST Western European nations (including Sweden, Switzerland, and France (also perhaps West Germany)) have either a) nationally issued ID cards and/or b) requirements for vistors to register with the local police (OK - when you check into a hotel the hotel does it for you by taking your passport over to the police). From reading previous comments, I suspect that very few countries do NOT have such requirements - the U.S.A., Canada, and the U.K. being 3 of the only exceptions. That brings me to the crux of the argument and why I posted the original article about government ID cards. Most USENET contributors live in one of the 3 exception countries. The United States of America was founded by people with a strong concern for individual rights and liberties (why did they insist that the Bill of Rights be included in the US Constitution?) and American history contains many stories of how these rights have been protected throughout the past 200+ years. In the spirit of protecting these rights in the Big Brother era of 1984, it is ESSENTIAL that we NOT have a universal, easy to trace, government issued ID card in the USA. Don't get me wrong, I realize the need for ID's to protect against bum checks and deny access to unauthorized people. What I'm saying is that each orgainization that perceives a need for ID should issue its OWN id (OK - I have no trouble with a group of banks getting together and issuing their own check guarantee cards - they do that right now with EFT cards - we have The Treasurer and MAC here in Northern New Jersey) and the government should stay out of the ID business (with two exceptions 1) the government may have to issue ID cards to its own employees (this includes military and civillians), just like any employer does, and 2) the government is the logical agency to issue passports, which are ID documents as well as proof of citizenship - but passports should only be required to enter the USA from abroad (as well as entering foreign nations). end of exceptions). As I've said before, driver's licenses should serve only one function, namely stating that the person described in same is qualified to operate a motor vehicle of the class covered by the license. Due to various physical limitations, I can't (and don't) drive, ERGO, I don't have a driver's license. All this fact means is that I am not qualified to operate a motor vehicle (a fact I'll certainly agree with). It says absolutely NOTHING about my checking account balance, credit rating, citizenship (USA, for the record), education, employment status, phase of the moon, the price of eggs, or anything else. Regards, Bill Mitchell (whuxl!wjm) reply by electronic mail to the above address, but send flames to /dev/null