Zócalo's Connecting California
Let’s get real about Real ID
You are cleared for takeoff now, but come October the government may deem you too big a risk to fly.
By Joe Mathews • • 7m ListenWhy do we need Real ID? The official answer is that these federally required identification cards will bolster security and make air travel safer. But flying is already safe, and Zocalo commentator Joe Mathews sees more nefarious designs behind this mandate. In his telling, the real purpose of Real ID is to divide Americans. It’s also a hacking risk, and then there’s the fact that obtaining one these ID’s from the DMV is a major hassle. Mathews’ advice: don’t do it.
Read Joe Mathew's Connecting California column below:
with little debate, since it was part of a tsunami relief bill.
With the states having caved, Real IDs could become national IDs that are required for getting a job, renting an apartment, picking up a prescription, making hotel reservations, paying by credit card, or eventually—voting. Before long, those who can’t get Real IDs will be second-class citizens.
Naturalized Americans are already being denied Real IDs because of bureaucratic suspicions about their foreign birth certificates. Security experts say Real IDs will be easily hacked, and since they are machine readable, will allow for wider tracking of individuals.
changed the standards for issuance without warning.