The writer Margaret Carlson explores the issue of the lack of a foolproof identification document that can be used to prevent the kind of events that happened at the airport from happening. Congressman John Dingell was asked to take his trousers off in order to verify the fact that he had an artificial hip that was composed of metal, and that made the alarms to go off. She notes that the idea of a foolproof ID card could have been used to avert this, citing the fact that Larry Ellison, Oracle chairman and CEO, had already offered to donate a software program that would aid this purpose.
Since the drivers license is already a legal form of identification, the government should enforce its legitimacy by instituting whatever measures are necessary to make it as foolproof as it should be. The government already has most of its citizen’s information stored in various public and private law enforcement agencies (McElroy & Watner, 2003). For this reason, the use of barcodes and biometric information on identity cards and driver’s licenses could go far in identifying people as they are all unique attributes to each person. They can be run through the vast databases, and it is possible to tell between legitimate citizens and illegal immigrants
When the need arises for identification of oneself, the Federal Government has made the driver’s license valid as an alternative document that can be used for that purpose. This gives rise to a security loophole where illegal immigrants and terrorists acquire driver’s licenses, whether genuine or fake, that enables them to outsmart authorities (McElroy & Watner, 2003). Some states like Florida have a favourable legal system that allows one to be issued with a driver’s license whether they are permanent residents or not. This poses a security risk as terrorists are likely to exploit that allowance.
While most Americans are for the introduction of the stringent identification system, Japanese-American congress members are cautious when it comes to issues that veer towards favouring the Native Americans. They feel that it could encourage victimization of members of other groups who might not find it as easy to acquire the native forms of identification. However, Margret Carlson notes that the same stringent card enables easy identification, which reduces the possibility of targeting members of specific groups.
The articles author, in my opinion, is right to propose the introduction of a stringent identification card as a way of preventing terrorism cases and enabling easier identification of citizens as they go about their usual activities. While this may be true, the case of Congressman Durbin may not necessarily be a potent occurrence to use as an illustration. For a congressman, with the right identification, he would have been allowed passage without much ado, but this doesn’t mean the normal US citizen would escape the situation so easily. Instead, if the alarm goes off the average citizen will still be told to provide proof of iron in the hip, the absence of which would necessitate the same treatment that the congressman received, or worse.
With the process that the proposal would have to go through in order to pass, it is also less likely that it would become law anytime soon. The diversity in the legal systems of the various individual states has always been a factor that poses a national security issue, although it is hardly discussed as a major problem. It becomes especially difficult to prescribe a national solution to identification. Drivers licenses are issued at different ages depending on the applicants residential state (McElroy & Watner, 2003). This means that the age would have to be standardized.
In publishing this article, the writer’s intention was to bring to light a likely solution that might be implemented in order to minimize identification lapse and enhance security. Her motivation seems to have been emotions elicited by both her and the general public on the congressman’s incident at the airport. While most people seem to be satisfied that the Federal Government is taking national security seriously, the writer takes a critical view and analyses the incident more on the negative than on the positive. The overall conclusion is that while the frisking was the norm and hence was probably necessary in the circumstances, the availability of a solid form of identification could have circumvented it.
The article is aimed at the general public. In her critical view of a situation which appears positive in its face, the writer uncovers more underlying issues that need to be looked at on a serious note. The writer implies that the embarrassment the congressman suffered can be blamed on the US government and could have been easily avoided. Ethos is also evident in the article. The reference to specific incidences and people makes it verifiable, and, therefore, hard to question the credibility of the information. The arguments are also logical, showing the use of logos as a style by the writer. Most people have also gone through the rigorous checks at various places and can identify with the subject that the writer is discussing. It would be correct to say that the writer was successful in bringing out her ideas.
References
McElroy, W., & Watner, C. (2003). National identification systems: Essays in opposition. Jefferson, N.C: McFarland
