I've never once, in 29 years, been asked to show my little ragged card, and I only have it because I kept it stored with my passport. (No employer ever asked to see it; I haven't been employed for more than 10 years, so I can't say anything about recent policies in the wake of the "immigration crisis.")
These days you can show a passport in leui of a social security card. (I showed my"current employer" my SS card because I kept forgetting to bring my poassport in to work. What an odd concept, proving to my employer that I had a right to wrk in the US... apparently the law is that you have a $10k fine if you *dont have the paperwork* -- it doen't matter if all your employees are legal.)
The current hysteria about "identification" probably does nothing to stop real terrorists...if there's one thing they can easily afford, it's realistic-looking ID cards, in any flavor and in any number.
What I think this means is a move toward a national ID card, replacing the confusing (to airlines, to government agents, etc.) mishmash of state driver's licenses, student ID cards, etc. After all, if someone doesn't drive, and has no passport, just what _is_ there "government issued" picture ID supposed to be, if not a national ID card? Or, as we like to say, an "internal passport."
Or as the Christian Right likes to say, "the mark of the Beast." Big Brother's SS number: 666-42-0000.
--Tim May
Just say "No" to "Big Brother Inside" We got computers, we're tapping phone lines, I know that that ain't allowed. ---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---------:---- Timothy C. May | Crypto Anarchy: encryption, digital money, tcmay@got.net 408-728-0152 | anonymous networks, digital pseudonyms, zero W.A.S.T.E.: Corralitos, CA | knowledge, reputations, information markets, Higher Power: 2^1398269 | black markets, collapse of governments. "National borders aren't even speed bumps on the information superhighway."
-- Sameer Parekh Voice: 510-986-8770 President FAX: 510-986-8777 C2Net C2Net is having a party: http://www.c2.net/party/ http://www.c2.net/ sameer@c2.net