National ID Cards: Civil Liberties Endangered

The contemplation of a National Identification System (“NIDS”) by our government is not a new topic of discussion. The September 11 attacks; however, aroused new concern and consequently pushed consideration for the development of a NIDS into the spotlight once again. Now, two years later, the reality of creating a NIDS is there, and its advantages and disadvantages are still being debated. It is a very touchy and controversial subject, which I feel very strongly about. Those concerned with civil liberties adamantly oppose the idea of every American Citizen being required to have a national ID card. Regardless of what adversaries might be inclined to believe, national ID cards would breach our rights of privacy and spawn the further degradation of our sense of security.

As Americans, one of our greatest civil liberties is that of privacy. If we give the government the power to track our every move at any given time, the threat of Big Brother becomes more real than ever. The government and other officials would have the power to connect to a database, and within seconds, they would know anything about us. If we were to have national ID cards, they would contain

We will not be able to travel, or buy on credit, or participate in tomorrow’s normal life. Soon enough, police as well as employers will consider those who resist full disclosure of their financial, academic, medical, religious, social, and political affiliations to be suspect. (586)

Knowing that “Normally there is little public support for NIDS…Each time politicians have dropped the schemes in the face of strong public opposition,” there should be less worry about the government taking any extreme measures (CPSR sec. 11). However, as mentioned before, the topic is by no means new. It is obvious that there are enough out there in favor of a NIDS and national ID cards. To be certain that our civil liberties and rights are preserved, we must keep speaking out and make those who support a NIDS and national ID cards understand how they will cause more of a hassle than a convenience and endanger our personal freedoms. As Richard Sobel effectively puts into words, “The requirement to prove identity or appear in a national databank in order to obtain or exercise certain rights degrades the moral economy on which free governance is based” (4).

similar tradeoff: a little less anonymity for a lot more security. Anyone who had

An optional national identity card could be used in a similar way, offering a

expeditiously, and anyone who opted out could be examined much more

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