Americans and their Drivers Licenses. There's something funny about them. ************** http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A32717-2001Nov2?language=printer "States Devising Plan for High-Tech National Identification Cards By Robert O'Harrow Jr. Washington Post Staff Writer Saturday, November 3, 2001; Page A10 State motor vehicle authorities are working on a plan to create a national identification system for individuals that would link all driver databases and employ high-tech cards with a fingerprint, computer chip or other unique identifier." http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A53795-2001Oct25?language=printer "4th Arrest in Probe of Hijacker ID Fraud Man Accused of Helping Suspects in Sept. 11 Terror Attacks Exploit Va. Loophole By Patricia Davis and Brooke A. Masters Washington Post Staff Writers Friday, October 26, 2001; Page B09 A fourth person was arrested and charged yesterday with helping the Sept. 11 hijackers illegally obtain Virginia identification cards less than five weeks before the terrorist attacks. ************** Both civilians and officials seem to think that there is some magic about a drivers license that would make it a good national ID and requires that it be protected from misuse by unauthorized persons. Apparently unknown to these worthies is the fact that terrorists, criminals, or just plain folks can do anything they want to do without a drivers license issued by a US state. As surprising as it may seem, one can drive, rent cars, fly domestically or internationally, get a job, start a business, rent accomodations, open bank accounts, and do anything you like without a US drivers license. Holders of foreign drivers licenses can drive in the US. Among the four million US expats are many native born US citizens who have an absolute right to enter, live, and work in the US but who do not *currently* even have a right to obtain a US drivers license since they are not *resident* in the US. Any US citizens who care to can characterize themselves as being in this group. A drivers license issued by a US state is no more than evidence of identity. It is not evidence of right to reside in the US, right to work in the US, etc. One must use other documents to establish right to reside and right to work (if those documents are required). One can use other documents to establish identity. Including most significantly a passport (whether foreign or domestic). With 300 million US border crossings by aliens annually, it is clear that plenty of aliens are travelling around the country almost none of whom have drivers liccenses issued by a US state. I hope that a "new, improved, drivers license" takes some of the heat off the National ID concept. DCF