February 9th, 2007
The Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers
United States House of Representatives
1708 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515-4705
Jeff Whiteside
[Contact Information Redacted]
Dear Honorable Cathy McMorris Rodgers,
I am writing in fervent opposition to the new national identification,Real ID, which is currently set to take effect in May of 2008. You must know the overwhelming majority of American’s absolutely oppose a national ID at a fundamental level. Though you may have taken some initiative to see that this privacy-invasive, unchecked and unbridled identification will be a difficult sell into reality, you are under obligation to protect our Constitution, honor the people’s will and oppose this in every way possible, and the fact is, you’re not doing enough.
I am rather alarmed at the number of Americans that I speak with about the “Real ID” that weren’t aware this was going to happen and are shocked (sometimes horrified) to learn of it. After all, nobody asked us, the people that allow you to be.
I’ve actually read that Homeland Security is considering putting RFID chips, fingerprint/retinal data, and other highly personal data on the ID. They’re looking at installing RFID readers in strategic places to track our movements. They’re moving to privatize it so there will be no oversight or federal management over what can and cannot be tracked via this new identification.
Have we all lined up as for an Orwellian prison to get our eyeballs scanned and activities scrutinized? Are we really prepared to create non-persons out of people that refuse to participate? Should we be broadcasting highly personal data, no matter how secure we’re told it is? Where is the evidential proof that this will actually “secure” our nation and isn’t just a nefarious plan for all Americans to give up all our personal privacy and centralize it? When did “we the people” become the “target” anyway?
I, for one, will not get on the fascist boat to micro-chipping the people and a forgone notion of personal privacy. I’m doing what I can to oppose the “Real ID” because I feel strongly it’s not in the best interest of the people. As a leader of our State, a representative of the people and a person with great influence, what are you doing about it?
So far, all we can manage to do is struggle with the best way to imprison ourselves rather than consider the more important concept, is this really what we want? How about we stop talking about how much it will cost and follow Maine’s lead to outright reject it? If they take away our funding, we, your people, will step it up and take care of Washington. We will do this because it’s what is right and because we don’t want our children living in a world where “Big Brother” knows all and our every move is tallied in some supercomputer.
Thank you for taking the time to read this and for any correspondence.
Sincerely,
Jeff Whiteside
