EDITOR, The Tribune.
The political class never tire of ways to try to keep citizens under control.
Now Mr Fred Mitchell (PLP), Minister of Foreign Affairs & Immigration, and former campaigner for individual rights, is the latest politico to call for a National ID Card.
I’m reminded of a Sinclair Lewis quote from his, It Can’t Happen Here; “Every man is a king so long as he has someone to look down on.”
Like his political cohort a while back, Mr Mitchell claims that people need a “document which says you have a right to be here” to justify even more intrusiveness by the state.
Of course there is a myriad of documents and approvals that people have to confirm they’re Bahamian or have the right to live or work here, but in their wisdom, we now need to be harried by yet another bureaucracy.
The idea should be to make the many branches of government already in place to deal with these matters work, not add yet another layer of time wasting bureaucracy.
As recent history has shown us in the United States, the more power states have to monitor their citizens, the more snooping on privacy governments do. Forgetting their role is to prevent harm, not cause it.
The numbering and monitoring of people like this was used to great effect by command and control governments throughout history and we must remain vigilant and be wary of motive here.
We should say NO to a National ID Card!
Yours in Liberty,
RICK LOWE
Nassau,
December 27, 2013.
Comments
TheMadHatter 10 years, 3 months ago
Excellent points - however, I would be in favor of a national id card AFTER the government PROVES they are serious about illegal immigration by conducting 20 (twenty) eastern-road style raids (except on different roads at random) - ONE PER WEEK for 20 weeks straight !!!!!
If they did that, I would seriously consider the idea.
The thing is, that it would have to have things on it like height and weight - special features (like tattoos or whatever) so that the officer in the field can radio-in or call in to the office and confirm that the person's name and date of birth and id number match the picture on the card (and that the number matches the date of birth etc.)
The whole thing is people replacing pictures (and dates of birth) on ID cards of all descriptions to create fake id. If there could be a near foolproof way to confirm this - it would be great.
That would require the government contracting out TWO (not just one) id agencies that are private sector (and whose owners are know to be supporters of different parties) (ie. a plp agency and an fnm agency) - and all inquiries sent to one are automatically forwarded to the other by the system.
The main thing is - though - LET THEM PROVE they are serious first.
The eastern road raid was quite successful - WHY has it been so long in the past. We should have had 5 more by now at least.
MonkeeDoo 10 years, 3 months ago
The problem with a National ID card is that it can be lost or stolen or even loaned out for a small fee. A better solution I think is to require everyone to have their National ID number tattood on their right wrist or forearm, and if the right arm has been cut off to use the left arm.
National ID numbers could then incorporate a code to indicate ones country of birth, race, religion, gender and of course sexual orientation.
It worked for the German's so i'm sure it will work for us.
Mitchell is a real thinker in my book.
sansoucireader 10 years, 3 months ago
Is this an attempt at a joke, a very bad joke? "Worked for the Germans"? Seriously? I expect that will be MP Mitchell's next suggestion, although what you're asking it to include (race, religion, sexual orientation) are no one's business.
B_I_D___ 10 years, 3 months ago
Very VERY bad idea and a terrible precedent to set. I'm all for rounding up the illegals...got my 100% backing on that...but as a citizen of this country I wholeheartedly object to having to carry 'proof of residency' in my own country. Thankfully, that will never be a problem for me personally, with my skin colour and prominent last name, they don't have to question me to the point I need to show proof of residency, but still, I object to the concept of it. So MANY ways that is the wrong path to head down. Alarm bells of epic proportions go off in my head with horror stories of histories bad side world wide, this is just one notch in that direction.
sheeprunner12 10 years, 3 months ago
Do we have anything similar to a national ID now? We have a NIB card (with no photo) - if we are employed We have a drivers license for those who qualify to drive We have a school ID - if we are in school We have a passport for those who wish to travel overseas We have a job issued ID - if we have a job!
Check what India is doing now with a biometrics ID - in a country with 1.4 billion people. Yes, The Bahamas needs a national ID - for what its worth Its the Last Days.
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