Conservative Bona Fides

There is a wide variety of people who stand opposed to the REAL ID Act and national id cards.

Many are extremely liberal.

Many are extremely right-wing--and conspiratorial in their thinking. (By the way, REAL ID is a bad idea all by itself. It doesn't require needless conspiracy-thinking to present it as problematic...)

Others are "independents."

Regardless, a lot of Americans just want to protect freedom.

Anyway, I'm glad to see a concerted effort to undo this lousy legislation passed in May of 2005.

But what is curious to me is why conservatives and Republicans were the ones to push the bill into law.

How does increasing the scope and presence of government in the lives of citizens promote the conservative ideal of "limited government?"

Conservatives usually stand against arbitrary and cumbersome regulation in our country. But with a system of national identification, they want to build the infrastructure that has potential for attaching and enforcing regulations in an unprecedented way. Do they not see this as a contradiction to conservative ideals?

I'm a conservative. I want a strong view of the 1st, 2nd, and 4th Amendments to remain in our country.

Shoot. I happen to believe in all 10 of the Bill of Rights.

Conservatives that I respect (here, and here) are promoting a national id system. And I am amazed at their stance.

Surely Americans are creative enough to stem the tide of illegal immigration, fight the necessary war on terror, and protect our borders within the framework of our great heritage of freedom.

Establishing national id cards is no good answer.