Do You Really Need that Star on Your License?

My husband and I decided to go to the DMV yesterday to apply for Real ID. I hadn't really done any research on it. I presumed it was just an enhanced driver's license, not much different from the standard license issued by the state. Fortunately, I ran into a snag. I didn't have my official marriage license and needed that to validate the name change from my birth certificate. So I came home without filling out the applicatio. My husband was able to get one though, more's the pity.

I mentioned on Facebook the bureaucratic red tape and someone sent me the link to a website that opposes Real ID. There are lots of issues I hadn't considered. There appears to be an increased control agenda behind the Real ID movement. About 44% of the population of the U.S. have Real ID at present. 

So how is Real ID different? 

• It's a national identity card and driver's license that usurps the power of the state and is an unconstitutional violation of the 10th amendment. 
• The potential impact on privacy rights is a serious concern. We're already being watched day and night. If you do an internet search on, say, hearing aids, you will start getting ads by the dozens. When the federal government is keeping track through Real ID how much more intrusive will Big Brother be?

The Citizens Council for Health Freedom (CCHF) warns:

• REAL ID could become a Chinese-like social credit system, linked to a global ID.
• The expanding use of biometric and digital ID systems are potential threats to medical privacy, patient autonomy, and individual freedom. REAL ID opens the door to tracking, profiling, and control over your medical choices and daily life.

So why have so many people jumped on the Real ID bandwagon. Easy answer: Fear. Hey, if you don't get Real ID you can't fly after May 2025. Better get it even if you don't fly, because you might need to at some point and won't be able to if you don't have the magic star on your license. (Why does this make me think of the star-bellied sneeches?)

Only it ain't true! You don't need a Real ID to fly. In fact, 45 states do not require compliance and there are fifteen other forms of identification acceptable to the TSA. I'm renewing my passport as an alternative and will just say no to real ID. If you have one and get concerned after doing the research, you can go back to the DMV and request a standard license. That's what CCHF recommends. Only a handful of states have made Real ID mandatory. 

I urge readers to take a look at the CCHF website and consider the dangers of Real ID. Yes, we already live in a society where we are being watched and monitored and targeted. But do we really want to give Big Brother more power? The states offer the only curb to the overreach from Washington. A national ID bypasses states' rights and individual rights as well. I'm just saying no to Real ID. It may make processing at the airport a little quicker, but is it worth the cost?

Real life is becoming stranger than fiction.