RFID tags and National ID cards

Listening to the Michael Savage show last Friday night with fill-in host Rick Roberts made me sick. Not only was he in favor of both of these, but he was unable to articulate his reasoning to anyone who disagreed with his position. In typical fashion, anyone who disagreed with him was anti-American or just not smart enough to understand the circumstances. (I thought the intellectual elitists were on the left?)

First, on the subject of the RFID tags, the concensus opinion seemed to favor equipping teachers with hand-held devices to monitor students. I'd bet that many of these teachers are challenged by VCRs so, of course, extensive training will be required for the "technologically challenged" teachers. Several questions came to my mind while listening to the discussion.

• Will these cards stop a Beslan, Russia style attack?
• Can't teachers monitor the halls between classes?
• Don't we expect a teacher to notice an empty seat in his classroom?
• What happens if a student loses his card, does the school go to some emergency status where police are immediately dispatched? Might not kids do this intentionally for entertainment?

One can only assume that after this programs has been declared a "success", it will be expanded to middle school and high school kids.

• What happens if a student gives his card to a friend to hold while he goes outside/home?
  

As for HR 418, I have only a few simple issues.

• Why must I have a Social Security number to drive a car?
• Can we next expect internal checkpoints where people are required to show their license?
• How can the American sheep think we are "free" when we can be compelled to prove our innocence at any time to government agents? Isn't the burden of proof supposed to be on the government to prove that a person is guilty? (See this story about a man who had his property seized by police but wasn't arrested "because of a lack of probable cause.")

As can best be illustrated by the Social Security number, a government program like this only moves in one direction. Therefore, it is basically a foregone conclusion that the RFID tags will soon be issued to students of all ages, and may even have to be worn 24 hours per day.

No doubt exists in my mind that the US Government wants to have a system or a combination of several systems by which it monitors and logs every movement of every person within the country. (Assuming it doesn't exist already.)

Of course, enough Americans remain who resist "Big Brother", so the only way the government can ever get to a total police state is via small and seemingly trivial steps, such as RFID tags and federal "standards" for State documents such as driver's licenses.

Those who value liberty over government provided security must stand against these measures. We must see our leaders for who they are and the future they envision for America. Most certainly the America envisioned by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison is not shared by the Bush and Clinton families.