Reply to How many DC residents do not have ID cards of some sort?

Forum Index » Metropolitan DC Local Politics

Reply to "How many DC residents do not have ID cards of some sort?"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]The people who were born on a kitchen table by kerosene lantern in an unheated, dirt floor shack on a subsistence farm in the middle of nowhere and whose birth was recorded, if at all, in a tattered family Bible somewhere are for the most part dead of old age my now.

The people who claim getting identification is too expensive or complex for them seem for the most part to afford other things, including cigarettes, drugs and booze, and to be able to handle normal transactions, like getting a prepaid cell phone. And if they’re really broke there typically are fee waivers available, and social service organizations to help them get straightened out if they want to.

The chronically disorganized really shouldn’t be setting the standard and even they usually can organize the things they really care about.

The truly mentally ill are unfortunate and it is hard not to sympathize with them, but again they really should not be the standard.

We have become way to much of a “show your papers” society. People with no business having copies of our drivers licenses routinely demand and scan them to keep in perpetuity.  Even worse are the “show ID” transactions where possession of something that looks valid is enough.

All this being said, there are times when it is reasonable and important to be able confirm who a person is. The idea that it is oppressive to require people to have identification when they might have some trouble getting or maintaining possession of it is dramatically exaggerated. It comes up most often in the context of voter ID laws. People routinely show ID to visit their kid’s school, enter office buildings, get government services, get medical care, buy booze and cigarettes, and even see movies. But suddenly it’s a wholesale disenfranchisement to want to confirm that voters are who they claim to be?  Not a persuasive claim. [/quote]

I agree. It seems to me one solution is to accept expired IDs for voting also. I realize not everyone may keep their IDs up to date, but most people have them.

And guess what? DC offers FREE non-driver ID cards if you are a senior citizen, homeless, or were recently let out of prison:
https://dmv.dc.gov/node/1120181
[/quote]

Guess what??? You still have to have all the correct documents, which cost money, and transportation to the DMV, and be able to get the time off work.[/quote]

Life requires effort. Are you hungry? You have to travel to some place to buy food, then cook it or purchase it already cooked. Later you have to do the dishes.

Yes, getting an ID requires some effort, once every few years. What does one do in life that doesn't require effort?[/quote]

It’s not very difficult to imagine getting an ID in DC, but in other states they purposely make it more difficult. Imagine not being able to drive, no public transportation, and the closest DMV is 90 minutes away. Plus you need to print copies of things (utility bills, leases, etc) to prove residency, and pay for the actual ID itself. 
Like I said, this isn’t an issue in the suburban/urban DMV, but it certainly is in rural Alabama or Mississippi.[/quote]

But somehow the same people manage to get groceries, clothing and typically medical care. And if they’re printing things they presumably managed to get a printer, ink and paper. [/quote]

Jeez, talk about willful ignorance. In most parts of the country, it’s probably easier to get to Walmart than it is to the DMV. Getting healthcare in rural areas is notoriously difficult, and large swaths of the population don’t see a doctor for years at a time. And the point was that they need those documents but don’t have a printer, paper, or ink. If you don’t have an valid ID, I can assure you that you don’t own a printer or see a doctor, ever.[/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics