I like the concept. I think being arrested for not having one on you might be kinda of harsh. I think they should switch to finger printing instead of cards.
Yes. As a driver you are supposed to have your documents with you at all times, but if you produce those documents within a reasonable length of time you face no more than a nominal fine, if any. No one ever wanted walking the street to be equated with driving a car; but that it is because the vast majority of people had their legal status as their sole justification and it was good enough. Times have changed, and that has not been of America's volition.
why, so I could be checked by the police every other week, and waste my time? no thats pretty ridiculous because that would mean that the reason for making one would be to get them checked, and say you left it at home you'd be screwed, and three hispanics would automatically get checked more frequently because of corrupt local police enforcement in particularly conservative areas, and we have an federal immigration office for a reason
Venezuela, that country we all love to hate, has such an ID card and a rule. But it's jail for the woman or military for the men.
Couple that with Arizona's new law and the Patriot Act, warrant-less wiretaps and we're indistinguishable from all those other countries. But we're already on our way to becoming a police state.
You mean like a Social Security card? True, you don't have to always have it on you, but it is mandatory for all legal citizens to have one.
Obviously this is connected to what they're doing in AZ; but the simple fact is that carrying a form of ID on you at all times *just makes sense*. In an emergency where you become seriously injured, a proper ID means that you will get faster, more accurate, care because the hospital doesn't have to treat you like a Doe. If they know who you are, they can track down your medical records and, more importantly, your medical history. Trust me, you don't ever want to go into an ER labeled "John/Jane Doe". It also means your family can be contacted ASAP.