Does America Need a National ID Card System? :: Essays Papers

Does America Need a National ID Card System? Introduction The recent terrorist attacks made it very clear that we need to do something to help make our country safe and protect our residents from those who want to bring harm and ruin. Many want to invoke a national ID card system, thinking that the ID card will provide us the security that we are looking for. But, is that really the solution? We need to understand what is wrong with the current systems that are in place now. We will examine what is required to get this system up and running and what is involved in making the system secure and safe. Lastly, in conclusion, we need to be clear on what direction we need to take to bring about a secure nation. Problems with Current Systems In Place The most notorious incident displaying where our country is lacking in security was the terrorist attack of September 11. Robert O'Harrow Jr. and Jonathan Krim of the Washington Post wrote, "five of the 19 terrorists involved in the attacks on New York and at the Pentagon were able to obtain Social Security numbers, even with false identities. The other 14 probably made up or appropriated other numbers and used them for false identification, according to Social Security officials. At least seven of the hijackers also obtained Virginia state ID cards, which would serve as identification to board a plane, even though they lived in Maryland motels." 1.1 The concern citizens of our country have is illustrated in this comment by Kimberly Warhoe posted in a forum on "National ID Cards". "The system in place now is in terrible shape. We truly need something more secure, something that can protect innocent people. Yes, we may lose some of our privacy, but we may gain a more secure nation. " 1-2.1 This terrible act of terrorism made it very clear that we need a way to know if a person is who he says he is. We need a way to be able to "verify and identity those applying for licenses and authenticating documents used to obtain licenses," as stated by William Welsh in Washington Technology. 2.1 Another important factor to consider is that any technical system that is implemented will always have human interaction, these will be the people who interact with the data and the system.