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Civil Rights Group Calls for Creation of a National ID Card

posted by chromas on Monday January 21 2019, @06:02PM   Printer-friendly
from the identification-politics dept.

takyon writes:

Civil rights group marks MLK Day with call for 'Trump card' national ID

A prominent civil rights group is marking Martin Luther King Jr. Day by pressing President Trump to honor his promise to create a national photo ID card for citizens.

Martin Luther King III, the oldest son of the iconic civil rights leader and a co-chairmen of the Drum Major Institute, met with Trump two years ago on MLK Day. During that meeting, the then president-elect endorsed the idea of a national photo ID. This year, the group is calling on Trump to follow through.

William Wachtel, co-founder of the Drum Major Institute, said the group sees the issue as critical to ensuring King's work to remove barriers to voting.

[...] The idea has invited controversy in the past, in particular over privacy concerns. In 2013, Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.) introduced a measure, the Protect Our Privacy Act, attached to a Senate immigration bill. The Paul amendment sought to prevent the creation of a national ID card, citing worries that it would make it easier for the government to track people. Wachtel sought to ease concerns about such an ID, saying it would not be mandatory and would only be an option for those who sought it.

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  • (Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 21 2019, @09:07PM (1 child)

    by Anonymous Coward on Monday January 21 2019, @09:07PM (#789777)

    I don't know. This whole wall thing looks like some sort of theatre. Why did he wait for democrats to have the majority in the house of representatives to do this? And since when do democrats care if the government pisses away $5 billion on some pork spending?

    The whole thing looks like a distraction from both sides.

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  • (Score: 3, Insightful) by fyngyrz on Monday January 21 2019, @11:01PM

    by fyngyrz (6567) on Monday January 21 2019, @11:01PM (#789838) Journal

    And since when do democrats care if the government pisses away $5 billion on some pork spending?

    Since... never.

    So with that out of the way, it seems pretty clear that there is another motivation, or more than one.

    • They don't like Trump
    • Their constituents don't like Trump
    • Conservation issues are in play (I'm suggesting optics here... the people calling the shots here are the same ones who let the oil companies run wild on the environment)
    • Preventing a (nominally) Republican success (turnabout, frankly)
    • Working to put the blame for the economic results on the president who said "I'll do it", which could be worth quite a bit to them, come next election
    • An awareness of illegals contributing the economy (perhaps they like fruit and veggies)
    • Applying pressure to get something else they want (not suggesting I know what, either)
    • Maybe, just maybe, the idea's actually stupid and just deserves to be shitcanned.
    • Other...

    But 5 billion? I agree. That's hardly noticeable WRT the financial levels congress normally operates on. It means a lot to the poor peons in the peanut gallery (that's us, BTW), and so it's worthy of grandstanding, but in terms of actual budget... nope.

    --
    Keep electing the rich.
    Keep wondering why tax laws screw everyone else.
    It's a mystery!