Posted on 11/22/2005 7:28:31 AM PST by bookish_lass
On Saturday, November 12, Free State activists from Keene and as far away as New London Connecticut gathered to defy national identification systems. In full view of the social security administration, social security cards were burned, sending a message that national ID will not be accepted. Around twenty activists gathered to take part in the torching festivities.
When Social Security was first foisted on America, the cards were imprinted with, "Not to be used for Identification." People were wary of the tyranny involved with a national ID card, so the government had to promise that the Social Security number would never be used for ID. They have broken that promise. As Americans became resigned to the idea of having a national number, the promise was quietly removed from the cards. Now, of course, the social security number is used for so many purposes, it is a defacto national ID number. Doctors, banks, motor vehicle departments, utilities companies…the list is endless of groups wanting your national ID number, groups having nothing to do with social security and retirement funds.
Now, with the passage of the Real ID act, the National ID card is outright law, and no longer just a defacto national ID number. Individuals wishing to travel in this country, whether it be driving themselves or riding on trains, busses, and airplanes will now be required to carry their national ID card, with their national ID number included on it. Even walking in public requires a person to carry their ID, as recent court decisions show. National ID cards are to carry "biometric data" probably in the form of a RFID chip, which can be read from a distance. Personal data about you will be available to any hacker on the street, in addition to being given to the Mexican and Canadian governments.
National ID cards have long been a tool of tyrannical government. A government which abuses and therefore fears its populace needs to be able to track them at all times. No government who governs justly need barricade itself in, as Washington D.C. has done. A government who remains the servant of the people need not track the peoples' every move.
To protest the injustice of the national ID number and national ID card, Russell Kanning, Kat Dillon and Lauren Canario of NHFree.com burned their social security cards in front of the social security administration in Concord, NH. A battered Lady Liberty made her appearance. National ID and the Patriot Act have given Ms. Liberty a rough few years. Signs at the event read, "Your number citizen, Welcome to the Machine," and "Social Security: The Big Lie. World's largest pyramid scheme. Ponzi would be proud." Signs were left for SS Admin employees to enjoy the next workday. Kanning left the event with the satisfaction of knowing that, "I finally said no to the government on issues of being numbered and being a part of the social security system." Young William G., age 4, who attended the event stated emphatically, "I don't want to be a number!"
Social Security Card Burn, The Movie is now available, free!
http://www.politicalgraffiti.com/nhfree/NHfree-SS_Card_Burn.mov (About 5 1/2 minutes)
For more information, visit: http://nhfree.com http://freestateproject.org
It won't. It disappeared some time ago.
I grow orchids. I wanted to buy some dormant Pleione bulbs this fall. One of the few nurseries in North America that has a large selection of these bulbs is in Canada. In order for me to receive these orchid bulbs, I would have to give this Canadian nursery my Social Security number for "customs clearance".
I have bought numerous items from foreign countries. Never before has any foreign business required my US Social Security number. (Nor has any US company required a SS#, for that matter.)
Its insane, when you consider all the concern about "identity theft" these days, that I should have to give my SS# to a foreign company, and have that number on the package pass through countless hands before I receive it.
Neddless to say, I did not make this purchase.
We really just need to prepare to start a new country.
Do you really think that our government wishes to combat infiltration by illegal aliens? (Republicans certainly don't - their business supporters would lose out on all that low-wage, low-cost docile labor!)
Do you really believe that our government wants to combat voter fraud? (Democrats don't - why should they wish to diminish the ever-increasing stream of fraudulent voters, who, of course, all vote Democrat!)
You make valid points, I just want to outline the limits of what you are opposed to. Are you against a comprehensive database that lists every single American citizen?
In the best of all possible worlds I would most definitely be against any sort of comprehensive database maintained by the federal government.
Having said that, this is not the best of all possible worlds. I do believe that we must get this illegal immigration problem under control in the next few years, or we are going to begin to see here the extreme polarization between natives and immigrants that Europe is now dealing with. *
So, I feel that we must now create some sort of database that all employers, schools, and financial institutions can utilize to check that a potential employee, student, or person sending money overseas is here legally. This MUST be combined with stiff penalties for those who hire or rent to those here illegally. (No talk of amnesty either!)
Of course, I would hope that stringent safeguards as to the maintenance of civil liberties be instituted as well, but knowing what I do about governmental power and efficiency, this is probably too much to hope for.
But, at this point in time, I do not believe there is the political will necessary to institute such a policy. Comfortable majorities of American citizens of all stripes, INCLUDING American citizens of Hispanic descent, express their discomfort with our current immigration policies, according to virtually every opinion poll that I have seen. The powers that be, on the other hand, feel free to ignore the wishes of their fellow citizens and refuse to do anything to fix the problem.
I fear it will take something horrible and massive, like smallpox-infected terrorists sneaking over the southern border, before our leaders begin to deal with this problem as they should have been doing since the last amnesty in the 80s.
Then, of course, the political reaction will swing to the opposite extreme.
* As an example of polarization we might see here, consider than a majority of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus now have Hispanic majorities in their districts. As Hispanics in these districts gain political power, (helped along by the votes of a good number of illegals), they will vote out the black Americans now holding these offices. Black Americans will not be thrilled, to put it mildly, to be displaced from their hard-won political gains by those who speak a language few blacks can understand, and who make appeals to the bonds that exist between the members of "La Raza".
Pathetic, isn't it?
As things now stand, a National ID would be used to keep tabs on Americans as much as it would be used to identify and expel illigal aliens. One would hope that any ID system would be utilized for limited purposes, and have adequate civil liberty safeguards, but that would probably be too much to expect.
That sucks, mucrospirifer! It gets to where you can't do a damn thing without the government's permission/knowledge.
Thank you for the reasonable response. (I was hoping you wouldn't think I was just trying to be a wiseguy or something like that)
I share those concerns but...as Americans, we are entitled to certain things. How do we know who is and isn't entitled to those things.
And aren't all of us law abiding citizens in a database we can be tracked through anyway? (State drivers license databases) That the bad people, illegal people and some others may not be part of those databases doesn't change the fact that WE are in them and can already be (and are) tracked.
I say, why not try to institute safeguards, and make sure everyone in this country is in there, including tourists and other temporary vistors to this country. We should be able to say who is and isn't in this country at any given time down to the last green card holder on the last day of his permit.
So says the "organizer" in me...:)
I understand that bad people might still find a way to be OUT of the database, but if someone is found in the country who is not in the database, makes it pretty easy to have a valid reason and proof to send them somewhere else...
In an ideal world. I understand the drawbacks as you state them.
If you have a drivers license, you are already in a nationally accessible database by the FBI and other law enforcement agencies if they want it. I isn't good, efficient or all that integrated, but it is there.
Do you still get carded...:)...?
Yes, carded - presumably by people told "card everyone, period." Occasionally giving a "don't waste my time" look has worked.
LOL. I know...it is kind of stupid...like feeling up little grannies at the airport looking for guns...
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