National ID Debate is Irrelevant

by on March 14, 2005

That’s not to say we shouldn’t be wary of the abuse of government power, but it is to say that arguments over whether or not we should have a national ID are outdated. The truth is that we already have at least two national IDs: our driver’s license and our social security numbers.

The more important issue Americans face is how to ensure that government is strong enough to fight terrorists but also weak enough to be forced to respect liberty, privacy and the general will of the people. This may mean stronger security on national ID accompanied by stronger constraints on what government can do with the data. For more, see my recent column here.

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Sonia Arrison / Sonia Arrison is an author and policy analyst who has studied the impact of new technologies on society for more than a decade. A Senior Fellow at the California-based Pacific Research Institute (PRI) and a columnist for TechNewsWorld, she is author of two previous books (Western Visions and Digital Dialog) as well as numerous PRI studies on technology issues. A frequent media contributor and guest, her work has appeared in many publications including CBS MarketWatch, CNN, Los Angeles Times, New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today. She was also the host of a radio show called "digital dialogue" on the Voice America network and has been a repeat guest on National Public Radio and CNN's Headline News.

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