National Id Cards

Fears of National ID Cards

Making everyday routines more convenient seems to be a major selling point in every American market. We want to do as little as possible while wasting a minimal amount of time. What if there was a card that could help speed up the process of our daily routines but at the same time would reveal more about us than we would probably want? In his short essay "Why Fear national ID Cards," Alan M. Dershowitz discusses the fears that could be a possible product of the installation of national ID cards. Dershowitz tries to persuade readers that these fallacious fears of national ID cards are nothing to worry about. The three major fears that Dershowitz describes include the rise of deporting illegal aliens, invasive executive officials, and "...the right to anonymity" (Dershowitz 556).

A rise in the deportation of illegal aliens is one fear Dershowitz discusses. He tells readers that many people feel that national ID cards would make the presence of illegal immigrants more clear. Dershowitz addresses this fear by stating "We already require photo ID's for many activities...the vast majority of Americans routinely carry photo ID's in their wallets and pocketbooks." This shows us that since the majority of the United States already carries some sort of photo ID, then the installation of National ID cards would hardly be much of a change because illegal aliens wouldn't have an ID in the first place. And anyways, why would "illegal" aliens be here in the first place? Is the increased deportation really a bad thing?

Along with the deportation of illegal aliens, invasive executive officials are another fear. People think that with the installation of national cards, government officials can be more intruding and will have the power to get into people's personal lives. Dershowitz discusses the point that even without a National ID card, people are still always being required to show some sort of photo ID. The presence of a national card would not differ much because of this fact. So basically, Dershowitz shows how this is just a contradicting fear that nobody needs to worry about.

The last fear