The "this" I refer to is Roger Kimball's recent visit to his local DMV to renew his license:
The elaborate communication I received in the mail from the DMV worried me a little. No longer was renewing your license simply, you know, renewing your license: handing in the one about to expire and getting a new one. That’s so yesterday. Now, because of “new federal guidelines,” you had a choice. You could opt for a “regular renewal,” which was like renewals of yore, except that your license wouldn’t count as a form of identification for such things as domestic flights. Or you could opt for a “verified renewal,” in which case it would serve as a form of identification. “I’ll take one ‘verified,’ straight-up, please.”After a lot of the bureaucratic paper nightmare at the local office, Roger decided to opt for the "regular renewal", only to find this out:
A few minutes later I was called over and handed my new license, a snazzy-looking piece of plastic emblazoned with the legend NOT FOR FEDERAL IDENTIFICATION. Thanks for that.It's worth a read on the whole thing.
Much of his account is focused on those micro-fiefdoms, those petty tyrannies that so many supposed "public servants" seem to portray. I'll not deny that there are too many out there who've forgotten that their livelihood is at our sufferance. I have to agree with one of the commentators, whom I recognize from my long-adopted state, when he mentions that, "In the union states nobody wants to get on a union hit list so supervisors don't supervise the employees." I've seen too much of that from various roles I've performed as HR Sith Lord (one could say that, as a result, my views on collective bargaining have greatly deteriorated since my college days).
There are too many (even one is too many on my book—especially, ahem, when occupying high executive positions); however, there are also a lot of good, hardworking and caring folks who do remember that they are there to assist the general public and take it seriously.I wholeheartedly agree with that same commentator as he concludes with, "Ours is unionized, even the supervisors, but they behave and give courteous if not always competent service."
Which, brings me back onto track that many of these folks are as frustrated with all of this as we are. They are being asked by higher level and completely out-of-control regulatory bodies to lay more and more obstacles into the paths of us regular citizens, for whom those comprising these same-said bodies are supposed to work. All in the name of keeping us "secure." These front-line, boots-on-the-ground folks are being asked to frustrate us more and more and they are the ones who are left to face the wrath of our own frustrations. Sorta seems like a somewhat self-fulfilling prophecy that we burn them out and turn them to the petty tyrants through treating them as such?
But, I have totally digressed from my original intent, which is the fact that we are surely devolving further into a overly authoritarian, if not outright totalitarian police-type of state in which something as fundamental as our drivers licenses are no longer suitable as identification to travel from Point A to Point B within the borders of our own country. I have to agree with another commentator who states:
You, Roger, are rightly bothered by the Byzantine hoops you need jump through to obtain your “verified” license, -which is really an internal passport (such as was required in Soviet Russia) now required to travel within our own country. However you seem to accept that you are required to HAVE said internal passport.
Our own government trusts us even less.
I find that repugnant.
I find that reprehensible.
I find that truly frightening.
Remember what I was preaching back in the post-Newtown days: silence is assent.
Never thought I'd want to put this bumper-sticker on the old Ranger but, "If you aren't outraged, you aren't paying attention."
Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.-Benjamin Franklin
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