Libertarianism 101: National ID Card - I've Already Got Mine

The Libertarians are opposed to a National ID Card. I'm in favor of it, however, and would argue that we already have a National ID Card ... although we don't call it that.

Let's first take a look at what information various governments (federal, state, and local) already know about you. If you were born in the US there is a birth certificate on file in some State's database. This lists your name, your parents' names, and the date and place of birth. If you have a driver's license, some State has your picture, a mailing address, knows whether or not you need corrective lenses, and if you've decided to donate your vital organs. If you've registered to vote, again, some State has a record of your name, address, and, in many cases, political party affiliation. If you've had the opportunity to travel outside the borders of the country, then you probably have a passport. Now the Feds have your picture, place and date of birth, and address information. Do you have a job? If so, then you have a social security card. Again, your name, address, parent's name, phone number, date and place of birth are on record. And lastly, if you have a job and have filed an income tax return, the IRS knows who your children are, who you're married to, how much money you make, to whom you make charitable contributions, etc., etc.

This is a tremendous amount of information ... and this is if you've never been in trouble with the law. If you had run-ins with the law the government can, relatively easily, acquire information on your phone calls, banking history, credit card use, and God knows what else.

So, what would be the added intrusion if there were a National ID card? What would be on that card that isn't already recorded ... somewhere? What would be the impact of requiring that every citizen over the age of 18 acquire a passport? To those who already have passports, this is no added burden. To those that don't have passports, how much of a compliance burden is there? Let's see, you need to have proof that you are a citizen and ... that's it.

Many who oppose the concept of a National ID card make the case that this would violate our civil liberties. The government could demand, at it's own whim, that we produce this card and prove that we are who we say we are. Hey, welcome to the real world ... they can already do this. We don't have to comply now and we certainly wouldn't have to comply if there were a National ID card. In both cases, however, there may be a penalty for not complying. So, what really changes?

I believe there are benefits of everyone having a passport.

1. A Standard Form of ID

A passport is the only definitive proof that the owner is a US Citizen! While some States require proof of citizenship before issuing a driver's license, some don't. A social security card, for the most part, only means you've been authorized to work (and pay income taxes) in the US. Neither of these, or a myriad of other forms of identification, identifies the owner as a US Citizen.

2. Forgery

Any form of identification can be forged ... even passports. Compared with other forms of ID, however, passports are a lot tougher to duplicate. Plus, people who already have passports tend to secure them more than they do a driver's license. And, by the way, I'm NOT advocating that we should be required to carry our passports with us at all times.

3. Voting Eligibility Verification

Just about every state requires that you be a US Citizen to vote. But how does each state verify that an applicant is, in fact, a US Citizen? That, as you might imagine, varies from State to State. If being a US Citizen is a voting requirement, there should be some definitive, standard means of verifying citizenship. Requiring each voting age citizen to have a passport would standardize this process.

4. Employment Eligibility

Many employment opportunities require proof of citizenship. As with voting eligibility, a passport is the ONLY definitive proof of US citizenship.

5. Immigration

Illegal immigration is a serious issue (or, at least I believe it to be). While a passport would not distinguish between illegal and legal immigrants, it would easily distinguish between Citizen and those whose immigration status is questionable.

6. Terrorism

As long as the major threat to our national security continues to be from foreign terrorists, the ability to rather easily determine who is and who isn't a citizen would be extremely helpful. Would it cause an undue burden on legal immigrants ... absolutely. But then again, if I was a legal immigrant, you can be sure that I would already be carrying some proof that I was here legally.

7. International Travel

When you want to go ... you'll already have your passport.

The bottom line from my perspective is this ... I've already got a passport. I think everyone should have one. There is no information required for a passport that doesn't already exist on your driver's license, birth certificate, social security application, or permanent resident card. A system is already in place to process and approve applications. Where a requirement exists to prove citizenship, there should be a standard means of proving it."