Thread: How Do Driver’s Licenses Afford Illegals a Courtesy Instea

How Do Driver’s Licenses Afford Illegals a Courtesy Instead of Jail?
Mike Cutler
familysecuritymatters.org







Governor Spitzer of New York State has finally abandoned his plan to provide illegal aliens with driver's licenses. Since the 9/11 Commission noted that the terrorists who attacked our nation used many false identities (364 in the aggregate) and, in a number of instances, supported these false identities by using driver's licenses, all I can say is…it’s about time.



Like it or not, driver's licenses are indeed the de facto national identity document that is most often used when individuals need to provide positive proof of their identities. We are routinely asked to produce our driver's licenses or non-motorist identity documents when we make purchases with personal checks or even with credit cards when the purchase is of significance. Driver's licenses are often required when we open bank accounts or even can be used as a form of identification to meet the requirements of completing a Form I-9 that is required by the Immigration Reform and Control Act, an act intended, ironically, to help employers avoid hiring illegal aliens. Driver's licenses are also used to provide proof of identity in some states when an individual seeks to purchase firearms.



When an individual can drive a car legally, he or she is essentially assured that if stopped by a police officer, the licensed driver is unlikely to be arrested for committing a relatively minor infraction of Vehicle and Traffic Law. This is because a summons issued by a police officer for speeding, running a red light or a stop sign, or other such infraction of law, is actually a courtesy. Why? Because when a driver is pulled over for violating motor vehicle laws, the police officer making the stop has the full authority to arrest the driver who committed the infraction.



In such traffic stops, the police officer is not unlike a judge who must determine risk of flight in deciding what to do with a defendant in a criminal case. When a motorist is unable to provide a driver's license to the police officer, it is not unreasonable for that cop to presume that the likelihood the motorist will show up for a motor vehicle hearing is somewhere between slim and none and will feel compelled to take that driver into custody. On the other hand, a driver who is properly licensed will most likely be viewed as much more likely to show up for his or her date in traffic court, thereby making it much more likely that the police officer will simply issue a summons.



This ability to move freely about our country with little fear of being apprehended is a highly valuable asset for illegal aliens; it also would make it more likely that terrorists and criminals would be able to drive cars and other vehicles wherever they want. This of course would aid them with mobility and the ability to prepare to carry out a terrorist attack or engage in acts of criminality.



As for illegal aliens whose only objective is to seek unauthorized employment in the United States, I would suggest that you understand that - as many of the open borders advocacy groups contend - it would be difficult and costly to have law enforcement seek to arrest and deport the estimated 20 million illegal aliens who are present in the United States. A far more effective strategy is to deny those aliens who are illegally present in the United States with the ability to function "normally." As I have stated previously, "No one breaks into an amusement park if they cannot go on the rides and no one remains in the amusement park at the end of the day when they shut down the rides and turn off the lights." Driving is indeed, both literally and figuratively, one of the most essential rides for illegal aliens.



Denying illegal aliens the ability to function normally within our country would also create a significant deterrence for those aliens who are contemplating running our nation's borders or otherwise violating our nation's immigration laws. Deterrence is an effective strategy for a wide variety of law enforcement efforts on all levels and should be applied accordingly to the illegal immigration crisis confronting our nation today.



Finally, the article makes it clear the We the People can force our politicians truly to represent us. Several months ago, enough concerned citizens called the United States Senate and caused the switchboard to shut down, killing the Comprehensive Immigration Reform Bill that I came to refer to as the "Terrorist Assistance and Facilitation Act of 2007." Similarly the "Dream Act" was defeated. Today we again see where We the People flexed our political muscles and forced the governor of the State of New York to back down and withdraw his outrageous and dangerous proposal.



When Senator Hillary Clinton vacillated on the driver's license issue, her ratings were adversely impacted.


Ours is supposed to be a representative government and we must make certain that the politicians do, indeed, represent us and our best interests.


Democracy is not a spectator sport!

Lead, follow or get out of the way!

Drivers Licenses are given out to the entire general public too easily. Most are not taught how to drive properly in the first place.

17 years old is too young. This kid have the attention span of gnats. They are silly, experimenting with alcohol and drugs, and are easily distracted with friends, cellphones and music in the car. Parents use cars as babysitters, and to save themselves the hassle of dealing with their children.

The elderly need the same supervision. It is tough, but it is not fair. I know of at least a dozen elderly folks killed in car wrecks they caused, because they kept driving, stubbornly.

The repeat DUI offender situation is still totally out of control.

Drivers Education, with films of Car Crashes, hours of supervised driving, and a test that is not a joke, should me mandatory.

Anyone convicted of a felony should not be able to drive. Anyone without enough english to pass our driving and written tests, should come back and try again.

Cars are dangerous weapons, in the hands of untrained and irresponsible folks. Same as giving a kid a gun.

Illegals come to the us and they settle around major cities, and get right in the mix of an already existing nightmare. It is like putting a wildcard on the Interstate. In 4 years (since they have become a reall big problem in Atlanta), I have been involved with 2 accidents caused by illegals, and so have most of my friends. They are clueless. They also don't show up for court.

What are we thinking?