Did you miss that part in the Constitution that authorizes the federal government to dictate laws on state driver's licenses? Yeah, me too. The Real ID Act would in effect establish a national identity card. Forgive my hyperbole, but it feels as if I've emigrated to Bulgaria without even moving.

What are the drawbacks to the plan? If your state refuses to abide by Congress's rules, you won't be allowed to board a commercial airplane using your driver's license. The bill institutes a national database on driving records and other information that is none of the federal government's, or another state's, business. Compliance with the intrusive law would mean the disappearance of sensible ideas saving you time and money, such as the "lifetime license" in Massachusetts. One provision calls for the refusal "to issue a driver's license or identification card to a person holding a driver's license issued by another State without confirmation that the person is terminating or has terminated the driver's license." If bureaucrats never made errors, such a provision might not inconvenience your life. Since they do make errors, this bill increases the probability that you'll experience an even greater hassle in your trips to the department of motor vehicles--where bureaucrats are known to make many errors.

Ostensibly, the bill aims to curb illegal immigration and enhance national security. The legislative and executive branches, which have abdicated their responsibility to secure our nation's borders, attempt through this bill to get the states to do what they themselves are unwilling to do. Real efforts to secure our nation's borders inconvenience illegal immigrants, not U.S. citizens.

Daniel, I'm desperate.

I have debate coming up where my opponents use the DPI and the UNDP to show Norway's superiority to the US. They say that a country's greatness is subjective and there is no such thing as "the best." They say that whether America has had a positive affect or negative affect on the world is subject as well.

Please help,

Your biggest fan.

Is it possible to prove that America is the greatest?

The part of the Constitution that authorizes this is the one that allows Congress to tax and spend (and states to accept that spending). Isn't this just a rehash of highway funds being used to increase the drinking age to 21 in all the states?

Dan,

As Obi said, this is a rehash of the highway fujnds issue for both drinking and seatbelts.
Why isn't there some brave state attorney general with the stones to take the federal government to court for violating the Constitution? Of course, like the former issues, we will all do this willingly for our own good so that we will be safe (sarcasm here). Our freedoms are being eroded one at a time, and no one cares because we all buy the propaganda that this is for our own good. Time tro crack open my copy of 1984 again.

Be well,

Sponge

This law forces a state to spend huge amounts of money to comply. The drinking-age law would cost huge amounts of money not to comply. This is a big difference in the two laws.

Sponge,

Who are you gonna take to court!? The Supreme Court continually extends powers to Congress that are contrary to the Constitution. And you can't take the SC to Court...

Sometimes, I feel like Burt Reynolds in Deliverence...all alone in the middle of nowhere crying "Where's the Law!?"...

...at times like this, though, I just feel like Ned Beatty.

It could be an ugly showdown if a state can't get satisfaction from the Courts or the Congress.

Ultimately, States could get so fed up as to attempt to quit the Union. In essence, that's how we got a United States in the first place. Our grandchildren may well fight another Civil War if trends continue.