If you live in North Carolina, you may have heard the expression "First in Freedom" a few times. That phrase
has long been something of an unofficial second state motto here, to the extent that it used to appear on NC license
plates where they now say "First in Flight." The history of the phrase dates to something called the Mecklenburg
Declaration - an event which is debated by historians - where a group of citizens in Mecklenburg County, NC were the
first Americans to declare independence from Great Britian.
Whether that even happened as reported or not, there is no doubt that North Carolina and it's people have a
long history of embracing Freedom and Liberty as core values. Now however, we see that corruption and decay
have reduced this once proud state to a level where state official are *bragging* about their compliance with
a totalitarian National ID law passed by the Federal government in 2005.
Now, living in a state which - by all rights - should have been the FIRST state to reject this law, we have our
state officials making statements like this:
Therefore, North Carolina is preparing as best it can to come into compliance with the law by May 2008.
North Carolina has made many strides since early 2004 as part of Governor Easley’s Operation Stop Fraud.
On February 2, 2004 we implemented new, tougher standards for proof of identification. These new standards restricted the use of ID documents to those which could be verified as needed. The standards restricted the acceptance of foreign documents, except for the use of valid, unexpired foreign passports.
In early 2004, the Division implemented verification of Social Security Numbers. In 2005, we implemented fraudulent document recognition training, requiring all examiners and License and Theft inspectors to complete a nationally-certified 20-hour course. Later that year, we implemented the use of face recognition technology, which has proven extremely valuable. A year ago, we also began tying the expiration date of a driver license to the expiration date of the Visa for customers with visas. On August 28, we implemented the new law eliminating the use of ITINs.
We have also implemented the use of an OVD overlay on the face of the license. Later this year, we will be the first state in the nation to implement the use of the new common security element recommended for all states. This will be an OVD patch on the back of the license.
As a result of North Carolina’s actions, there are many parts of the REAL ID law that North Carolina is already in compliance with.
Now having seen North Carolina's reaction to Real ID, let's examine what our neighbors in South Carolina had to say:
AN ACT TO AMEND CHAPTER 1, TITLE 56, CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING SECTION 56-1-85 SO AS TO PROVIDE THAT THE STATE SHALL NOT PARTICIPATE IN THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FEDERAL REAL ID ACT.
Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of South Carolina:
Nonparticipation
SECTION 1. Chapter 1, Title 56 of the 1976 Code is amended by adding:
"Section 56-1-85. The State shall not participate in the implementation of the federal REAL ID Act."
There you go. Short, sweet and to the point. Now, are we here in North Carolina going to sit back and accept that South Carolinians love Freedom
more than we do? I, for one, say most emphatically "NO." I say it is time for us to take action, one way or another. This rampant abuse by the Federal government must not be allowed to stand, and
North Carolina should be at the front of the pack in opposing this unconscionable nonsense. So to all you reading this, I ask that you
please contact your House and Senate representatives in the NC General Assembly and
a resolution mirroring the one passed by South Carolina (and Utah, Maine, and several other states as well).
It's time for North Carolina to retake her place as a shining beacon of Liberty and Freedom. And if the leaders we have
in place now won't acknowledge that, it is time to remove them from power.
