The REAL ID Act of 2005...
Just yesterday, Congress passed a war-spending bill which will send $82 billion to fight the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, our wonderful representatives up in Washington threw some pork in the barrel. Enter the REAL ID Act of 2005. You can read it here. Take a look at Title II (page 42 within the listed link).
Improved Security For Drivers' Licenses And Personal Identification Cards. What a name. It sounds like good legislation, from the surface... until you actually read it. There are some guidelines that all states must follow in order to have their drivers' licenses accepted as a form of national identification and most of these, including other procedures, I find acceptable.
The problem is that this is Big Brother at the hand of the GOP which claims to be "conservative" and in support of small government and states rights. I'm sure Fox News is claiming that this is completely voluntary and states have no obligation to do anything. Yeah, right. Can you imagine being told, after you buy an airplane ticket, that if you're from states A, B, and C you must have a valid passport to get on the plane because the FAA doesn't accept your states' drivers' license as a valid form of identification. I would hardly call that a voluntary piece of legislation.
What frustrates me even more is the lack of public outcry by the Democrats. Why aren't we hearing anything from them? Why aren't they shouting from the rooftops that this was an unnecessary add-on to a bill that everyone knew would not be challenged? I think we could get some swing-voter support if we start getting more public with our disapproval of this Radical Right agenda. More so, I think that if we point out, immediately and loudly, this "conservative" crew isn't conservative at all we may get some of our seats back in the next Congressional election. What's so conservative about telling states how they can make their own drivers' licenses? What's so conservative about an administration that spends and spends and spends, collecting more and more debt while at the same time claiming they must fix a Social Security budget crisis that won't hit for another 35 years?
We must take advantage of every opportunity we have to gain momentum. Right now, we have none. Call them out on their "conservative" attitude being more liberal than a California Democrat. Drum up some public attitude and build some headway with your own agenda. Get MoveOn.org to get an ad or two going. We're not going to win over any votes if people don't start changing their minds about the Radical Right and what they do, or don't, stand for.
Improved Security For Drivers' Licenses And Personal Identification Cards. What a name. It sounds like good legislation, from the surface... until you actually read it. There are some guidelines that all states must follow in order to have their drivers' licenses accepted as a form of national identification and most of these, including other procedures, I find acceptable.
The problem is that this is Big Brother at the hand of the GOP which claims to be "conservative" and in support of small government and states rights. I'm sure Fox News is claiming that this is completely voluntary and states have no obligation to do anything. Yeah, right. Can you imagine being told, after you buy an airplane ticket, that if you're from states A, B, and C you must have a valid passport to get on the plane because the FAA doesn't accept your states' drivers' license as a valid form of identification. I would hardly call that a voluntary piece of legislation.
What frustrates me even more is the lack of public outcry by the Democrats. Why aren't we hearing anything from them? Why aren't they shouting from the rooftops that this was an unnecessary add-on to a bill that everyone knew would not be challenged? I think we could get some swing-voter support if we start getting more public with our disapproval of this Radical Right agenda. More so, I think that if we point out, immediately and loudly, this "conservative" crew isn't conservative at all we may get some of our seats back in the next Congressional election. What's so conservative about telling states how they can make their own drivers' licenses? What's so conservative about an administration that spends and spends and spends, collecting more and more debt while at the same time claiming they must fix a Social Security budget crisis that won't hit for another 35 years?
We must take advantage of every opportunity we have to gain momentum. Right now, we have none. Call them out on their "conservative" attitude being more liberal than a California Democrat. Drum up some public attitude and build some headway with your own agenda. Get MoveOn.org to get an ad or two going. We're not going to win over any votes if people don't start changing their minds about the Radical Right and what they do, or don't, stand for.
<< Home