I’m so behind on my personal blog it’s not even funny. A million things to talk about and not enough time to type. If any multi-millionaire philanthropists are reading, I could really use some support. I’m not in financial ruin – but it would be nice to have my research and interests financed so I could spend less time working and more time informing myself and others. Seriously…I’m not interested in donations, I want full on support so I can read, write and pursue my quest.
So, with that said, I have mixed news to present. It’s stale news for me (about a month old) but probably fresh for most that don’t keep up on current events. The Fed has “graciously” extended the deadline for the implementation of the Real ID Act of 2005 that effectively creates a national identification that will replace our driver’s license. To find out more about Real ID, read my previous post on the subject. The new deadline for states to comply is May 2009 – a year extension from it’s original due date. It was moved due to the fact that the Fed took their sweet little time defining the technology that will be present in Real ID and essentially gave the states NO time to implement it.
On the other side of the fence, where I’ve firmly planted my flag, more states have joined the opposition to Real ID. Starting with Maine, five states have announced opposition to Real ID including Idaho, Arkansas, Montana and most recently, my home state of Washington. Despite Congress nearly unanimously ushering in the legislation, right thinking activists and sensible governors have assured this to be a most difficult sell into reality. It won’t stop there – believe me, we must remain vigilant and alert to the the developing situation because we need to tell the WORLD, with an overwhelming majority, that we’re not down for tracking chips, surveillance and privacy invasion. Get informed, tell your friends & loved ones and let’s make sure this doesn’t go down.
As a resident of Washington, I’ve been paying attention to my state’s reaction to Real ID. I was pleased to see the rejection of the Act, but was disappointed that it will only reject it unless the Fed ponies up the cash and addresses specific privacy concerns prior to implementation. I was hoping they would “just say no,” but I guess it’s a step. The news conflicts with some other info I found where I discovered that Washington had fast-tracked much of the identification measures, including RFID usage, into their new licences. They’ve stated that the RFID tracking chip will be “optional” for Washington residents and that you can refuse if you’re informed enough to. It seems to me they’re saying “no” now, yet are laying the foundation for compulsory RFID compliance and a likely Real ID compliance once we get attacked again.
Speaking of getting attacked again, I’m pretty serious about this microchip thing. Now, just for a frame of reference, I fully intend to kill anyone that tries to implant me with a microchip. I also firmly believe there are a lot of Americans that think on similar terms. There is something about it – a line drawn in the sand, if you will – that extends well beyond a significant number of American’s comfort level of what their government should know about them. For a lot of these people, I believe the advance is significant enough that it could stir a civil war. Even under the guise of a terrorist attack, I STILL believe American’s will resist this. I would also like to believe they would resist the conditioning that will ultimately lead up to it.
I recognize that the Real ID is not a body implanted device…but then again, it’s not very far from it. I see it as the stepping stone – the necessary conditioning – to get people to ultimately accept implanted microchips. Not to mention, driver’s licenses (RFID chips) are compulsory to have on your person while driving, such that when one goes most anywhere, they will have their tracking chip on their person. Not just that, but the technology removes any sense of privacy; especially as it matures and RFID readers become more accurate at further distances. Your every movement could be tracked, stored and potentially recalled at any given time. At a fundamental level, it goes against what I believe is right in the world and gives in to a tyrannical rule of control by fear. Something in the core of my being just gets tweaked when I think about “Big Brother” and RFID scanners as common as security cameras.
In the end, I am seeing that people are resisting this so kudos to those who have done something. For those who haven’t, please think about it and if you oppose it, make your voice heard because it really is important. If you’re for RFID tracking and implantable microchips, do yourself a favor and move to Europe…you’re swimming in a pool of rattlesnakes and you’re bound to get bit.
