T
H
E

L
I
B
E
R
T
A
R
I
A
N

E
N
T
E
R
P
R
I
S
E


I
s
s
u
e

42


L. Neil Smith's
THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE

Number 42, July 27, 1998

No NID!

By Don L. Tiggre
[email protected]

Special to The Libertarian Enterprise

         Just in case any of you haven't heard about the national ID that's about to be shoved down the nation's collective throat, or have dismissed it as right-wing extremist hype, let me assure you that this thing is very real, very dangerous, and almost a done deal.
         You may have heard the president talk about a national health ID card on television recently -- that's a different angle on the same goal. Basically, the 104th Congress passed the enabling legislation -- under the pretext of controlling illegal immigration -- that will result in every citizen having a federal ID number and card, without which life will become very difficult.
         The Department of Transportation is working on coercing all states (not that many states need much coercing) to issue drivers licenses that will include the Social Security number and other information of interest to the fedgoons on the mag-strip. It'll look like 50 different IDs (plus territories), but each card will contain the same info, including the federal tracking number (the SS number). The American people have acted like cattle for so long, they are about to be branded. For more information, please see the NO-NID information page Sunni Maravillosa has assembled and put up on the LRT web site.
         If anyone does not understand what a serious threat to freedom this is, what an incredibly powerful instrument for control this would be in the hands of unscrupulous government agencies, they should go watch any old World War II movie in which the Gestapo are always asking people for their papers. Or, ask a Russian who had to have an internal passport to travel around the old Soviet Union.
         This is a coalition-building issue that cuts across party affiliation and even many philosophical differences. It's something that concerns libertarians, Republicans, anarchists, various Christians, pre-Roosevelt Democrats, and other groups as well. So, naturally, the Knights of Non-Aggression and the Friends of the Liberty Round Table want to do something before it's too late!
         The first thing we've come up with is very easy. We want to spread the word -- the meme -- that we don't want a national ID number or card: NO NID!!!
         In order to increase public awareness, we are launching a World Wide Web campaign, like the green ribbon and blue ribbon campaigns before it (or like L. Neil Smith's Bill Of Rights Enforcement graphic). We have created a NO-NID graphic and placed it on our home page -- we encourage those of you who have web pages to copy the graphic and feature it prominently on your pages. Just doing that, and encouraging other webmasters to do the same -- would be an important thing.
         It will make a difference!
         Folks who don't have web pages can encourage organizations they work with or for, or affiliate with, to put the graphic on their home pages. They can also inform themselves, and put NO-NID in their sig. files. That way, when people ask what "NO-NID" means, they can tell them about it. Or they could use NO-NID and the URL for the LRT NO-NID informational pages.
         Webmasters could also establish the logo on their pages as a link to the LRT NO-NID informational pages (http://www.lrt.org/lrt.nonid.faq.htm) -- that way they wouldn't have to clutter their own pages with explanations.
         All individuals are encouraged to use the NO-NID graphic (ours is kinda large, but you should be able to size it to suit) whenever they do anything to protest the national ID. For example, there are several letter-writing campaigns circulating the internet. If you were to decide to download one of the letter templates and send one to the president or the head of the DOT, you could affix the NO-NID graphic to the letter, or print it on the envelope.
         Heck, if you think you'd be good at explaining the problem, you could print it on all your envelopes and stationery ... The more places the logo shows up, the better! Congresscritters are very good at ignoring letters from constituents that complain about things they have no intention of dealing with -- but if lots of the fedgoons involved start seeing the NO-NID logo on lots of correspondence, or on billboards, newspaper ads, or other places ... Or if people just started calling their offices and saying, "NO NID!" and hanging up, it would get noticed! If politicians think there is a constituency for something, then they are much more likely to take action.
         I have no way to tell how far this will go, but I do know that these suggestions won't cost you anything to implement, and every bit will help. Freedom is never given to people, it is won by people who will not allow themselves to be herded, corralled, and branded. Every single individual who refuses to go along with this NID thing is priceless, even if they stand alone (like the guy in front of the tanks in Tiananmen Square). If enough individuals decide to refuse to be treated like cattle, we can stop this thing.
         So please join us in this protest!
         It's easy, painless, legal, quick, and free. It's also crucially important. No excuses. No mooing. We will not be cattle! Stop by today and get your NO-NID graphic at:

http://www.lrt.org

         No time like the present!
         As this thing picks up steam, we will be adding projects to the NO-NID program. One idea is to organize a national "burn the NID card" day -- other ideas are percolating. Anyone with ideas is welcome to send them to me or join our project discussion list by sending the word "subscribe" (without the quotes) in the subject field of a message to:

[email protected]

         Please forward this article to anyone you know who cares about freedom (or who might just object to being treated like hamburger stock by the feds)!
         Do freedom!
         NO NID!


"Don L. Tiggre", founder of the Liberty Round Table (1101 Main Street, #104-254 Evanston, WY 82930) urges Libertarian Enterprise readers to "Do Freedom!!!" -- and check out VIRTUAL-CON 1: Science-Fiction and Freedom-Lover's convention on-line, at http://home.lrt.org. Also, check out the third annual essay contest for young people! Coming soon: Y2K: The Millennium Bug, a novel by DLT!


Declare your own website a Bill of Rights Enforcement site today!! The vile reign of state terrorism is drawing to a close at long last. A new day is dawning for liberty. You can share in making history. Go to http://www.lneilsmith.org//index.html and click on the scroll.


Next to advance to the next article, or
Previous to return to the previous article, or
Table of Contents to return to The Libertarian Enterprise, Number 42, July 27, 1998.