The REAL Big Brother

There’s something wrong, I think, when a normal law-abiding citizen such as myself gets scared at the prospect of coming under government scrutiny. That’s what happened this past weekend when one of my daughters happened to ask me if I’d heard of the new national identity card, known as REAL ID, that would soon become mandatory for all US citizens. That I’m not a US citizen is not besides the point, because not being able to apply for the national identity card will then force me to carry my British passport around with me anytime I want to drive, enter a federal building or a national or state park, or board an airplane (even for internal flights). What’s wrong with that, you may ask. Well, nothing, I suppose, except – what’s right with it? What purpose will it serve?

The predictable answer, and the one we’re receiving from the good old office of Homeland Security, is that these IDs will help to prevent terrorism.  No one explains exactly how this new way of tracking personal information will help in that regard, except that it will help to identify the person carrying the ID. Do they suppose that terrorists (or illegal aliens) will find it more difficult to counterfeit and /or purchase these types of ID than they will to counterfeit and / or purchase say, a social security card or a passport? The other purpose they propose for these IDs is help in preventing fraud. Hmmm. Now let me see. A card embedded with a chip which contains computer readable sensitive information, will somehow help to protect me from identity theft?  Even if I could find logical arguments to support this reasoning, the part which really concerns me is this small statement buried on the same Homeland Security web page:

“DHS may consider expanding these official purposes through future rulemakings to maximize the security benefits of REAL ID.”

Does no one else recognize this statement as the peak of a very slippery slope.

Apparently (thank-God!) some people do. A great site which explains in detail the dangers and pitfalls of REAL ID can be found at (quite appropriately) Real Nightmare .  The site not only covers the privacy issues at risk if such an invasive system is put into place, but also discusses the economic hardships for states and citizens which will be produced by the system.

Most shocking to me was that in the states who have not resisted the federal mandate for these ID cards, implementation and issuing of these cards will begin in March 2008. Yes, next month!

Pennsylvania, my state of residence, has not yet succumbed to implicit threats from the federal government and the Office of Homeland Security in their efforts at “persuading” states to comply with the Bill. But the pressure is on. I don’t have a senator to write to, but if you want to write to yours, Real Nightmare‘s Action Center can help get you started.

I spent about twenty minutes this morning canceling deliveries of catalogues (that’s how they spell it in England) to my home, and it’s something you might wanna think about doing.  

It’s easily done on this free website — http://www.catalogchoice.org/ — where, after you’ve submitted your name and address, you can browse through an alphabetical list of hundreds of catalogues, and decline the ones you don’t want to receive anymore. I declined 25 this morning; that’s 25 chunks of paper I no longer have to sort through, dump in a container, and haul to the curb once a week. It’s also 25 less sources of temptation to spend money I don’t have, on junk I don’t need. Let’s face it, if we didn’t get the catalogues we wouldn’t know that half of that stuff exists, anyway – the whole concept of advertising.  

Just as important to some of us is the environmental impact , and another way to help with the environment is stopping the rest of the junk mail. By registering with the Direct Marketing Association, you can stop most credit card offers, coupon packets, and other mass marketing stuff from arriving at your address. I did it several months ago and have noticed a huge reduction in the junk mail. I also subscribed to the do-not call list (National Do Not Call Registry ), and no longer receive any of those annoying phone calls. It costs $1. Stay away from any of the sites that attempt to charge you – some up to $5 a month. The official sites will only charge a minimal — usually a one time, one dollar – fee. And it’s worth it. 

Let me know if you have other ideas or links for stopping the harassment and saving the environment.

Because….

I’ve always said that I’d never give my students an assignment that either

•  I hadn’t done myself, or
• wouldn’t do myself.

So, here I am blogging. And, like the assignment I gave them, blogging on a topic or topics of my choosing. Tricky huh? What to talk about without revealing too much? My final decision (after a lot of thought) just stuff I think might be worth thinking about.