Don’t Fear the Real ID

The Real ID Act is in the news again and like most government identification programs, somepeople are wary.

After all, it has been said that it starts with identification. (This was said by Magneto to Professor X in one of the X-Men films). However, the government already has your address, birthdate, and-Social Security Number.

This law was enacted all the way back in 2005, but these real IDs are now required as of May of this year, to board domestic flights and enter certain federal facilities, such as for White House tours.

For those of you with Texas driver’s licenses, just look for the star in the upper right corner to confirm that you have this ID. You are looking for a gold star. Chances are that you already have this ID in your wallet if you have renewed your driver’s license since 2005.

Again, with any new government identification and communication, Americans reserve the right to be scared.

There is one problem with this fear: The Real ID operates to consolidate information between law enforcement agencies to make their job easier. Imagine that you drive to Louisiana and need local identification but have only an ID that is legal in Texas, but not in Louisiana. You may have some bureaucratic problems, and could even be arrested. The real ID is designed to facilitate communication between Texas and Louisiana and may be able to get you through the system faster.

Now as with any government program, abuse is always a possibility. After all it is fallible humans, who make mistakes. However, while this is true, do not forget that we are citizens of Heaven first, but are just passing through like pilgrims on a journey.