National ID Cards Coming Up For A Vote This Week
-- Threats to gun owners' privacy are a huge concern
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
The National ID card is back in the news, as Congress is getting set
once again to debate the issue.
You will remember that late last year, Congress passed (and the
President signed) legislation which starts us down the road to a
National ID card. In the name of preventing alien terrorists from
operating in this country, the so-called Intelligence Reform bill
gave federal bureaucrats unprecedented new powers to force changes in
state-issued driver's licenses -- including, possibly, the addition
of computer chip technology that can facilitate the tracking of all
U.S. citizens.
Now, the House will be debating new legislation, H.R. 418, that was
recently introduced by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). In
considering this bill, the U.S. House will vote on whether to empower
the federal government to determine who can get a driver's license --
and under what conditions.
Since you need a driver's license to purchase a gun from a dealer,
this will give BATFE the expanded ability to impose even greater
forms of gun control -- something which it has long coveted. This
will become even more apparent if an anti-gun Democrat like Hillary
Clinton wins the presidency in 2008.
H.R. 418 is, unfortunately, supported by many Republicans who believe
that repealing our liberties will somehow make us "secure."
But GOA
joined a large coalition of citizen-activist organizations this week
in opposition to H.R. 418. In a letter to Congress, the coalition
stated:
"Standardization of driver's licenses has long been recognized as a
bureaucratic back-door to implementation of a national ID card. With
its required linking of databases and ability of the Secretary of
Homeland Security to require a prescribed format, HR 418 takes us
well along that road. Concerns are further heightened when the bill
fails to even provide lip service to privacy concerns, and proposes
to share all of our data on the driver's license database with Canada
and Mexico."
Realizing government's tendency towards mission creep, no one should
be surprised if this database grows to contain far more information
than that which is relevant to driving. HR 418 requires that the
database shall contain "at a minimum," all information contained on
the driver's license as well as driving history. There is no limit to
what other information may eventually be contained in the database --
something which should definitely concern gun owners.
H.R. 418 is being touted as a way of cleaning up some of the problems
with the law that was enacted last December. But this bill is still
an attack on states' rights. It still takes us down the road to a
National ID card. And it would still do nothing to keep real
terrorists from operating in our country.
ACTION: Please contact your Representative and urge him or her to
oppose H.R. 418. You can use the pre-written message below and send
it as an e-mail by visiting the GOA Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm (where phone and fax numbers
are also available).
-----Pre-written letter-----
Dear Representative:
H.R. 418 would give the federal government open-ended authority to
determine who may and may not get a driver's license -- and under
what circumstances.
Since I need a driver's license to purchase a gun from a dealer,
BATFE would finally have its long-coveted tool to impose gun control
on targeted groups -- particularly under a liberal anti-gun
administration.
If you believe in the Second Amendment, please vote against this
anti-gun monstrosity.
Sincerely,
****************************
Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.
To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.
To unsubscribe send a message to
gunowners_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net with the word unsubscribe in
the subject line or use the url below.
Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.
---
You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time by visiting
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/lmx/u/?jobid=50212606.
-- Threats to gun owners' privacy are a huge concern
Gun Owners of America E-Mail Alert
8001 Forbes Place, Suite 102, Springfield, VA 22151
Phone: 703-321-8585 / FAX: 703-321-8408
http://www.gunowners.org
Wednesday, February 9, 2005
The National ID card is back in the news, as Congress is getting set
once again to debate the issue.
You will remember that late last year, Congress passed (and the
President signed) legislation which starts us down the road to a
National ID card. In the name of preventing alien terrorists from
operating in this country, the so-called Intelligence Reform bill
gave federal bureaucrats unprecedented new powers to force changes in
state-issued driver's licenses -- including, possibly, the addition
of computer chip technology that can facilitate the tracking of all
U.S. citizens.
Now, the House will be debating new legislation, H.R. 418, that was
recently introduced by Rep. James Sensenbrenner (R-WI). In
considering this bill, the U.S. House will vote on whether to empower
the federal government to determine who can get a driver's license --
and under what conditions.
Since you need a driver's license to purchase a gun from a dealer,
this will give BATFE the expanded ability to impose even greater
forms of gun control -- something which it has long coveted. This
will become even more apparent if an anti-gun Democrat like Hillary
Clinton wins the presidency in 2008.
H.R. 418 is, unfortunately, supported by many Republicans who believe
that repealing our liberties will somehow make us "secure."
But GOA
joined a large coalition of citizen-activist organizations this week
in opposition to H.R. 418. In a letter to Congress, the coalition
stated:
"Standardization of driver's licenses has long been recognized as a
bureaucratic back-door to implementation of a national ID card. With
its required linking of databases and ability of the Secretary of
Homeland Security to require a prescribed format, HR 418 takes us
well along that road. Concerns are further heightened when the bill
fails to even provide lip service to privacy concerns, and proposes
to share all of our data on the driver's license database with Canada
and Mexico."
Realizing government's tendency towards mission creep, no one should
be surprised if this database grows to contain far more information
than that which is relevant to driving. HR 418 requires that the
database shall contain "at a minimum," all information contained on
the driver's license as well as driving history. There is no limit to
what other information may eventually be contained in the database --
something which should definitely concern gun owners.
H.R. 418 is being touted as a way of cleaning up some of the problems
with the law that was enacted last December. But this bill is still
an attack on states' rights. It still takes us down the road to a
National ID card. And it would still do nothing to keep real
terrorists from operating in our country.
ACTION: Please contact your Representative and urge him or her to
oppose H.R. 418. You can use the pre-written message below and send
it as an e-mail by visiting the GOA Legislative Action Center at
http://www.gunowners.org/activism.htm (where phone and fax numbers
are also available).
-----Pre-written letter-----
Dear Representative:
H.R. 418 would give the federal government open-ended authority to
determine who may and may not get a driver's license -- and under
what circumstances.
Since I need a driver's license to purchase a gun from a dealer,
BATFE would finally have its long-coveted tool to impose gun control
on targeted groups -- particularly under a liberal anti-gun
administration.
If you believe in the Second Amendment, please vote against this
anti-gun monstrosity.
Sincerely,
****************************
Please do not reply directly to this message, as your reply will
bounce back as undeliverable.
To subscribe to free, low-volume GOA alerts, go to
http://www.gunowners.org/ean.htm on the web. Change of e-mail
address may also be made at that location.
To unsubscribe send a message to
gunowners_list@capwiz.mailmanager.net with the word unsubscribe in
the subject line or use the url below.
Problems, questions or comments? The main GOA e-mail address
goamail@gunowners.org is at your disposal. Please do not add that
address to distribution lists sending more than ten messages per
week or lists associated with issues other than gun rights.
---
You may unsubscribe from our mailing list at any time by visiting
http://capwiz.com/gunowners/lmx/u/?jobid=50212606.