Letters to The Editor
Rick Lowe: Say NO to a National ID Card
By Rick Lowe, www.weblogbahamas.com
Dec 30, 2013 - 5:10:16 AM


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 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 an be wary of motive here.

We should say NO to a National ID Card!

Yours in Liberty,

Rick Lowe

Disclaimer: The views expressed here are solely those of the author in his/her private capacity and do not in any way represent the views of TheBahamasWeekly.com