'Show Me Your Papers'

Several states are rebelling against the Federal Government's requirement that all Americans carry an internal passport, called Real ID.

The Real ID law was passed by the Republican Congress in 2005 (James Sensenbrenner author). It requires the states to issue uniform identity cards (aka drivers licenses) by 2008. It would be illegal to travel by airplane, open a bank account, or enter a federal building without your papers. Every time the card is scanned the information will be entered into a Department of Homeland Security database, allowing the Federal Government to track the detailed activities of every American.

Led by Maine, several states across the political spectrum (Georgia and Utah on the right, Massachusetts and Hawaii on the left) have active pending legislation that will prevent their states from participating in the Real ID program. It is likely that Senators John Sununu (R-NH) and Daniel Akaka (D-HI) will reintroduce legislation to repeal the Real ID law. If the law is not repealed, it is possible that, by election season next year, it will be illegal for much of the country to board an airplane. Futher reading.

Photo is of a Nazi officer examining "the papers" of Jews in Krakow in 1941, or of a future street corner in downtown LA.