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Real ID Act? Why is it so terrible?

MosquitoboyMosquitoboy
edited January 2008 in Everything Else
I have been reading up on the Real ID Act that is being discussed. Now I can't say I feel it is a good allocation of government funds, but why are people screaming about how it has any relation to the patriot act, how it is stealing your information, or other claims of absurdity?

Now this is not claiming that these opinions are wrong, but I can not grasp where they are coming from. What about this act is morally wrong? Why are people so up in arms? I don't mind people have strong opinions, but I like it when I understand why they have them.

Comments

  • spiritfiendspiritfiend
    I think the reason people oppose this is the same as why they oppose fake medicine. It's wasteful, and doesn't solve the problems it says it will.
  • Boy BlueBoy Blue
    I remember hearing a podcast done by the "Movies you should see" Simply Syndicated network about why ID cards are useless and they make great points.

    Only pro ID argument I can remember is if medical info was on it for emergencies. What's the point in having these IDs? The whole to terrorism prevention would do nothing, cause they will be forged.
  • NeitoNeito
    I'd also be worried if the original idea of having embedded RFID tags in the cards is still true.
  • Hitman HartHitman Hart
    I believe from what I heard they won't be doing to RFID chips.
  • RedShirtRedShirt
    The main arguments that I hear against it are sort of like the arguments against DRM. Does nothing against the people it is purported to be against, but really good at screwing over the common Joe. The intent being to control the populace and not to stop the bad guys.
  • aresefaresef
    The federal government would have a giant database of all this sort of info about you. Very bad. And it would deter illegal immigrants from getting licenses, which wouldn't keep them off the road--it just means they wouldn't be licensed. Or insured. And the next Timothy McVeigh, it'd do nothing to stop him. Basically, Real ID solves no problems and creates a constitutional issue. Many states have issued laws flat-out condemning Real ID. My state (MD) has a resolution saying so but they're still going along with it, and I'm not happy about that. People in states not complying with Real ID, when you go to the airport or something, you'll need a US passport or similar federal ID. Yeah, really.
  • merry_minstrelmerry_minstrel
    ID cards as such are really not that much of a problem. We have had them for ages in Germany. It's just a card with a number, photograph, name, date of birth, address, colour of eyes and height (which doesn't even fit anymore, because I've grown since it was issued to me) on it.
    It's a completely different thing if biometrical data is included in the card and stored in a giant central database, and I see the problem more in the database than in giving out those cards. I think they're useless, though. All you use them for in Germany is showing them to Police officers who stop your car and verifying your age if someone thinks you're 14 and refuses to give you beer (which never happened to me, ever).
  • MosquitoboyMosquitoboy
    Ok, so I take it that the problem is not giving up any constitutional rights or freedoms,nor is it having the government watching you or monitoring you...
    It's giving the government excess to information that they don't already have.
    Now the information I hear they wish to database is information that they already have, they just wish to organize it in a more readably available fashion so it can be excessed without having to go through other organizations that give the information out. Since the government is not known for keeping information obtaining information from one agency to another.
    It seems to me that they are just skipping asking the DMV what your information is, thus making the job more efficient and not requesting any more information then what you have already given the government and have already accepted that is a good trade off for security.
    I may be wrong, but I see no evidence that they will be asking for any new information that they don't already have. For if they want new information please tell me. I would love to know what more they could want.
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