Illegal(s’) I.D.s

From CNN: “Facing growing pressure from his own party, Gov. Eliot Spitzer indicated he had not ruled out rescinding a heavily criticized plan to issue driver's licenses to illegal immigrants, according to published reports.”  The plan calls for different types of driver’s license, including one not “valid as a federal identification but (that) will be available to illegal immigrants and others for driving.” The purpose would be both to make traffic safer and to “boost security by identifying more immigrants,” but the critics say that “there are security risks in giving government identification to as many as 1 million illegal immigrants in New York state.”

Besides the fact that there is an immeasurable double benefit to the U.S. to continue and improve its policy of welcoming foreigners, for its domestic economy as well as for its foreign political goals through soft power, the joke of talking about I.D. security in the America is unfortunately not lost on this college teacher whose students all seem to be over 21 on the weekends: if you want to talk seriously about security, you may first want to comment about this.