unintended consequences: Davis recall leads to US internal passports

[Tim May]

On Wednesday, September 10, 2003, at 02:02  PM, Major Variola (ret) 
wrote:
>

> I've read that to enter a Fed building you need "ID".  I'm curious
> what happens if you haven't got it.  Adrian Lamo had his card.
> I'm currently ignoring the conscription notices I get from the
> local jury droids; if I *volunteer* someday (after reviewing
> fija.org) I'll be sure to be without ID.

Ironically, I was preparing myself for such an eventuality. I even 
Googled for reports on "jury "i.d."" and similar variants. I found no 
reports of legal hassles for people not having I.D. when called for for 
grand or petit jury duty, or for otherwise being ordered to enter a 
government building.

I was called for jury duty--admittedly a County of California building, 
not a Federal Protectorate building. But I had a hunch they might ask 
for "proof" that I was the person called, or not let me into the court 
room without I.D., etc.

I was mentally preparing to leave my D.L. and wallet back in my car (or 
even to take a bus for a few blocks, without license) and then tell the 
guarddroids: "No, I don't have a Driver's License...I'm not in my car 
right now, as you can see. My Driver's License is for when I'm 
_driving_."

My plan was not to file a Gilmore-type lawsuit, just respond to any 
demands for I.D. with a shrug. And then a departure, with the names of 
the guarddroids noted so I could later tell the authorities that I am 
not required to carry I.D. except when entering the U.S., driving a 
vehicle, and a few other similar things.

My younger brother, who has been on various juries, told me they never 
asked for any I.D.  (He's a registered Republican and has been called 
several times in his adult life. I'm a registered Libertarian and have 
not actually been called to serve since 1973, when I was still 
registered Republican. I smell something fishy.)

In any case, I was in the last "group" (31 of 31) which had to phone 
the courthouse to see if we were to be actually told to be present 
physically. The last couple of groups got excused. So my 30-year record 
of not serving on a jury has been upheld.

>
>
> NIB magnets are probably overkill, but it was the first and last
> useful swipe my license's magstrip will see...
>

By the way, in case others didn't hear about this, smart card readers 
are apparently now considered "paraphernalia." Or at least grounds for 
expensive lawsuits (until those filing suit are countersued 
successfully).

It seems a couple of subscribers to a satellite t.v. service (who shall 
remain nameless, as it is my provider and they probably Google for 
mentions of their name) bought a smart card reader/writer. Big 
Satellite Company sent them a lawsuit, claiming they were pirating Big 
Satellite Co's smartcards. All without any proof, at least none 
unveiled so far. The two guys said they are hobbyists and have 
"legitimate" reasons to buy openly available smart card reader/writers. 
(And they really don't have to say _what_ they are doing or planning to 
do with the card readers. Unless the gadgets are actually declared 
illegal, they are legal to own. And Big Sat Co has to have actual 
evidence, not mere suspicion. Of course, they are free to cancel the 
satellite service for these two guys.)

"Buy a smart card reader, go to jail."

--Tim May


"According to the FBI, there's a new wrinkle in prostitution: suburban 
teenage girls are now selling their white asses at the mall to make 
money to spend at the mall.
...
Now, you see, the joke here, of course, is on White America, which 
always felt superior to blacks, and showed that with their feet, moving 
out of urban areas. "White flight," they called it. Whites feared 
blacks. They feared if they raised their kids around blacks, the blacks 
would turn their daughters and prostitutes. And now, through the 
miracle of MTV, damned if it didn't work out that way! "

--Bill Maher, "Real Time with Bill Maher," HBO, 15 August 2003