Tamper-Proof Biometric ID Card? Will I Need One? Because I Don't Have One!

Is Government Using Illegal Immigration As an Excuse For A National ID Card?

by Daniel T. Zanoza

I was watching Bill O'Reilly's interview (O'Reilly Factor--FOX News Channel) with the Republican Party's presumptive presidential nominee, Sen. John McCain, on Thursday and the host asked his guest about the problem of illegal immigration.  Remember, McCain came under considerable fire from many Americans on both sides of the political aisle for his stance on the problem and O'Reilly was trying to clarify the position of the senior Senator from Arizona on the subject of illegal immigration.

Of course, McCain began with his usual spiel that he gets it, as far as Americans wanting our border with Mexico secured.

Typically, McCain was very vague in his definition of the word "secured" which continues to give many of us pause regarding his sincerity on the topic.  But after the obligatory "I get it" statement, McCain followed with something that was sure to send shivers down the spines of most United States citizens.  He said illegal immigrants entering America to work would be required to obtain "tamper-proof biometric ID cards".

Sounds good, doesn't it?  Instead of stealing identities and the Social Security numbers that come with those identities, illegals will be required to come forward and register with the U.S. government and obtain a technologically advanced piece of plastic that would contain information particular to the individual holding the card.  Again, sounds good, right?  That is unless we think about what such a card would mean to those of us who were born in America or came here legally.

Perhaps, in this case, it is the negative which should concern those of us who believe in the Constitution and the privacy it guarantees.  Yes, I know, in order to work, all of us are supposed to have a Social Security number.  But, legally, a Social Security card was not intended to be used for identification purposes.  McCain was saying, with this new "tamper-proof biometric ID card", employers would know if the holders were here legally.  What Sen. McCain did not address was what would happen to the rest of us who didn't present such a piece of identification when seeking employment.  Indeed, would those without, be on the outside, looking in, as far as the law?

OK, let's stop beating around the bush.  McCain is really talking about a national ID card.  And, Senator, make no mistake, this idea ain't gonna fly.  If you think you caught flack because of your plan to give "amnesty" to nearly 15 million individuals who are here illegally, you haven't seen anything yet.  Gosh, even those borderline Communists (the ACLU) might be against this proposal.

Because the American government has failed miserably to secure its borders, for reasons all too numerous to state here, if you are elected President, your plan is to keep track of law-abiding citizens, in order to compensate for federal ineptitude.  McCain's words are totally consistent with Washington, D.C.'s formula for dealing with the problem.  Instead of building a three-tiered fence that would reach from California to the Gulf of Mexico, let's simply penalize American citizens.

And, please, I don't want to hear about the rough terrain which exists along the border preventing such a fence to be built.  The Chinese constructed a wall that is quite famous, if I'm not mistaken, extending nearly 7,000 kilometers through terrain that would make the area along the U.S. border with Mexico look like a child's sand box.  The first part of the Great Wall of China's construction began in 214 BC under the rule of Qin Shi Huangdi.  Its purpose was to keep illegal immigrants out of that newly consolidated nation.  We couldn't do the same with today's technology and equipment?  Baloney!

Here's an idea, Mr. McCain.  Let's crack down on employers with heavy penalties, fines and possible jail time for those seeking cheap labor while they put our nation's security and economy in jeopardy.  Then, we could hire a company, like VISA or MASTERCARD, to produce Social Security cards which can be validated in real time with the push of a button.  Anyone who cannot produce a valid Social Security card doesn't get a job.  Sounds impossible, doesn't it?

Finally, cities offering sanctuary status for illegals can have their federal funding eliminated.  Law enforcement encountering illegals can report violators to the INS (Immigration and Naturalization Service), ICE (Immigration and Custom Enforcement) or the Dept. of Homeland Security.

Now, there will be some who will say this is mean-spirited.  To the contrary, I believe American citizens who are losing their jobs to "undocumented workers" is truly a policy brooded in a spirit of greed and meanness.

Violating our Constitutional rights by the creation of a system that will keep track of people who obey the law is criminal and the country won't stand for it.

Many pundits say John McCain must solidify his standing with the conservative base of the Republican Party, if McCain has any chance of winning the presidency come November.  A plan calling for a national ID card, to put it mildly, is getting off on the wrong foot.  I guess this is one of those solutions that is worse than the problem.  Will someone please tell McCain that.

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Comments

[Doug Stewart]

Three presidential candidates - two Democrats and one Republican - but there's not a hair's breadth of difference between them. This is why I left the Republican Party three years ago and became a card-carrying member of the Constitution Party.

Yes, I fully support their presidential nominee, Dr. Chuck Baldwin and his vice presidential selection who is a former Marine with service in Viet-Nam. I do NOT trust any of the nominees from the Republican or Democratic party (except Dr. Ron Paul), but I DO trust Dr. Chuck Baldwin and the Constitution Party.