Ikari

Everyone should oppose the Real ID Act. Just another power grab by the federal government.

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Ikari

what clause in the Constitution authorizes the federal government to require nationalized IDs with tracking abilities in them?

This is none of the federal government's concern, driver's license are a State issue and that's where it should stay. It surprises me that so many "conservatives" are all about ripping away the power of States and giving it to the Federal government. Growing government size and power doesn't sound to me like the "conservative" way. And they [federal government] has to do it this way because they know they can't out right just pass a required national ID; so they have to back door it. Well the government can piss right the **** off, I'm not paying for this change and I'll do everything I can to make sure that my State opposes this. Power needs to be stripped from the Federal government and given back to the States, not vice versa.

TOJ

That would be Article I, Section 8. It pretty much gives Congress free rein to do whatever they please.

Ikari

I think I actually heard my brain cells dying as I read that.

"Section 8. The Congress shall have power to lay and collect taxes, duties, imposts and excises, to pay the debts and provide for the common defense and general welfare of the United States; but all duties, imposts and excises shall be uniform throughout the United States;

To borrow money on the credit of the United States;

To regulate commerce with foreign nations, and among the several states, and with the Indian tribes;

To establish a uniform rule of naturalization, and uniform laws on the subject of bankruptcies throughout the United States;

To coin money, regulate the value thereof, and of foreign coin, and fix the standard of weights and measures;

To provide for the punishment of counterfeiting the securities and current coin of the United States;

To establish post offices and post roads;

To promote the progress of science and useful arts, by securing for limited times to authors and inventors the exclusive right to their respective writings and discoveries;

To constitute tribunals inferior to the Supreme Court;

To define and punish piracies and felonies committed on the high seas, and offenses against the law of nations;

To declare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and water;

To raise and support armies, but no appropriation of money to that use shall be for a longer term than two years;

To provide and maintain a navy;

To make rules for the government and regulation of the land and naval forces;

To provide for calling forth the militia to execute the laws of the union, suppress insurrections and repel invasions;

To provide for organizing, arming, and disciplining, the militia, and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the service of the United States, reserving to the states respectively, the appointment of the officers, and the authority of training the militia according to the discipline prescribed by Congress;

To exercise exclusive legislation in all cases whatsoever, over such District (not exceeding ten miles square) as may, by cession of particular states, and the acceptance of Congress, become the seat of the government of the United States, and to exercise like authority over all places purchased by the consent of the legislature of the state in which the same shall be, for the erection of forts, magazines, arsenals, dockyards, and other needful buildings;--And

To make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers, and all other powers vested by this Constitution in the government of the United States, or in any department or officer thereof."

This is a very specific list, where on it is "mandate, maintain, and regulate federal ID with tracking abilities to the people"?

Zyphlin

Shhh! Don't use facts! Facts are bad. Remember, if this passes, the pizza man is going to know that you take viagra and be afraid you'll bone him. The governmentz will pwn j00! The ACLU told me so! Fear it, FEAAAAAR....!

(wait, aren't some of the opponents of this based on the fear of what could happen the same people that yell at those in favor of the war on terror of using "fear tactics" to "scare people" into agreeing with by talking about something that may or may not actually happen?)

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danarhea

That one is a no-brainer. It's the 10th Amendment.

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Jack Kevorkian for President's Physician: 2008

WI Crippler

Oh boy, by the way everybody was talking I thought REAL ID was an implanted chip at the base of your skull that the government could track, via GPS, you to your location at anytime, and could also remotely detonate the chip if you were found to have voted for anybody besides a republican or democrat, refused to pay income taxes, made a donation to the Ron Paul campaign, or were found to be investing in gold futures.

I guess with the facts present, I'm going to have to change my mind.

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"Fatigue makes cowards of us all" - Vincent T. Lombardi.

RightinNYC

Question for both of you: Do you agree that the federal government could easily circumvent this problem by requiring states to implement the program or lose federal funding for a reasonably related purpose, such as homeland security? They did the exact same thing in regards to making the drinking age 21, and the court didn't find it unconstitutional there.

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Ikari

Of course I have a problem with federal blackmail. While the courts didn't find anything unconstitutional, it certainly isn't something that should be accepted. I give money to the federal government so it can perform the tasks I want it to do; one of which is interstate upkeep. When I give the government money it is for the purpose of doing the things I told it to do. So I give money and want my interstates kept up. The federal government doesn't then get to withhold that money till I do what it says. I say, fund interstates; they don't get to take my money and then say "oh well...you have to do X before you can get this money back". They don't set the rules, the People do. If I give the government money to do something, then they have to do that thing. There are no strings attached, I give money, they appropriate it to the proper places to accomplish the tasks I told the government to do. Federal blackmail shouldn't be accepted as proper operating procedures for the government.

RightinNYC

You give the federal government money so that they can provide for safe and speedy interstate transportation. Reducing drunk driving (the ostensible reason for this rule) is a directly related concern.

Similarly, you give the federal government money so that they can provide safe and secure borders. Creating a national baseline for ID is a directly related concern.