Since September 11, 2001 members of the Federal Government have been pushing for a form of National ID card as a way to protect us. While about half of the population opposes an ID card, nearly all Americans are blindly ignorant to the fact that there is already a system in place.

Prior to the twentieth century, citizens of the 'united' States of America could travel freely about the country without knowledge or permission of the Federal Government. There were no roads, no automobiles or means of tracking the movements of the population. Even after the invention of the automobile, drivers traveled about the countryside on paths and dirt roads from town to town with the freedom they expected from the Bill of Rights. Shortly after the Civil War and the formation of the 'United' States of America the Federal Government wanted to keep track of its citizenry, more specifically, the newly freed black citizenry. This was soon morphed by those intent on a strong federal government to include everybody to ensure that nobody tried to fight the government again.

With the invention of the automobile and the development of roads and freeways, the government seized its chance. They created the 'operators license'. In those days most people traveled by horse and buggy and most peopled looked at the automobile as an annoyance. The government could not get anybody to carry a form of ID that needed to be produced at the whim of law enforcement, but they could in the interests of safety for pedestrians and horse riders, require automobile operators to carry an 'Operators License'. In order to receive this license they affirmed that the operator was competent. This made the pedestrians happy and while the automobile operators were firmly against it, the majority could care less what they thought. The hook was now set. Slowly over time with more and more regulations, people are doing what would have been unthinkable one hundred years ago. They are asking the government for permission to travel about their country and keeping their government informed about their place of residence.

Then why the push for a National ID Card? The answer is uniformity, ease of use, ease of data collection and storage, flexibility and tighter controls. The new ID card proposed by the government will change the driver’s license into an all encompassing id card that the bearer will need to produce at the request of a law enforcement official; to have in his possession to travel, purchase goods, receive medical care and anything else the government feels necessary. ©