Showing ID in order to purchase a Pre-Paid cell phone.

I saw this on the news tonight.

Lawmakers are requiring customers to show ID in order to purchase a pre-paid cell phone. This is in effect in some states.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/...n6560321.shtml

pay some teenager 20 bucks to go buy a phone for you.... or stock up on extra phones now lol

that is crap, too many ways around this, it will never work

"If law enforcement has a legitimate need to surveil, let them surveil," Schumer told The Associated Press, adding, "you can make sure privacy is protected."

What planet is he living on???.....If this legislation passes, it's just gonna be another area in which our expectations to privacy are being slowly eroded and big brother is slowly but surely watching everything you do and say.....I have no problem with combating terrorism and the police, as well as society in general, fighting crime.....BUT I do have a problem with them doing it at the expense of Constitutional freedoms.....America is supposed to be AMERICA because we're supposed to have a SUPREME DOCUMENT that protects our citizens against an overreaching gov't intent upon encroaching upon our freedoms and disrespecting our rights.....Or at least that's the ideals that our Founding Fathers espoused when they signed that famous Declaration, fought that war to be free of European oppression, and drafted that Constitution to govern our newfound nation lo those many years ago.....

"The Supreme Court has always upheld the principle that you have the right to speak anonymously - that the decision to identify yourself as a speaker is an aspect of speech itself," said Lee Tien, a senior staff attorney with the Electronic Frontier Foundation.

Yeah, while that may have been the case at one time in our nation's history, I feel that over the last 30+ years that ideal and philosophy has pretty much gone by the wayside.....And, anything that hasn't already been stripped away from us thus far will be taken away within a matter of a few years.....The feds and states are using that Homeland Security Act as justification to trample all over the rights of American citizens ostensibly under the guise of "combating terrorism and making America a safer nation within which to live".....The truth is that while that goal sounds quite noble (and let's face it, NONE of us should really argue about the intent), the facts remain that the HSA has really done nothing but be a pain in the ass to American citizens (and especially those who are trying to travel), has not really had much effect on slowing down terrorism and/or crime, and even if this legislation does pass, it will have almost ZERO effect on helping them track down the so called targets of terrorism.....If Shazad had shown his ID and purchased a prepaid phone, how would that have aided the feds in stopping him from using the phone to purchase the vehicle???.....He purchases the vehicle, then tosses the phone and the feds are in no better position to combat his criminal activity than they would have been had he not been required to show an ID.....Thus, the law is quite impotent in this case.....

"We are living in a time when unfortunately our public safety requires small gives by everyone," Verizon spokesman Jeffrey Nelson said.

But answer just one question for me: "Why is it always the regular, everyday, law abiding, average American citizen that is having to make the small gives???

Big C, I couldn't agree with you more. I, too, am getting sick of our government. Republicans, Democrats, makes no difference, what they all apparently want is total control of my life, your life, hell, everybody's life.
Except maybe the actual terrorists. Don't seem to be too concerned about keeping them out of the country.

I got a better way to fight terrorism than requiring an ID to buy a phone. How about wasting the next SOB that tries to blow something up. Try to set your underwear on fire on a plane? No problem, 9mm to the head right there on the tarmac. Set your shoe on fire? Same deal.

Instead of "small gives" by everyone, let's go for some damn "big takes" FROM the terrorists.

The goal of almost any politician is to remove the rights of the citizens as much as possible so as to control them; give them as many entitlements as possible so as to buy their votes; and take away their guns so as to protect the political establishment from removal by force.Party makes little or no difference except that the Democrats most often initiate these actions and the Republicans then ratify them.

After several seconds of deep pontification and trying to find the exact words to accurately convey my thoughts and sentiments..


"That is some bullshit, right there. I can't get behind it because the principles behind it are far more reaching in consequence"

and why we are at it, let's bring back "lawn darts!".

Hi Wicked Milf,

Being ex-military I can see the concerns about threats of terrorism. On the other hand it is an invasion of privacy. I would have to agree with LAVixian and say pay someone to buy the for you or stock up really well now to get around it which is what the real criminals and terrorist will do anyway.

I'm thinking that the companies will text the anonymous owners, since they have the numbers, and inform them that if they don't stop into the store and fill out a form, the service will be cut off when the pre-pay runs out. No form, no ability to buy more time.

We need to figure out a way to get people all upset that this is something to discriminate against "undocumented workers" and homeless people. It will also be a definite problem for women with abusive ex-husbands, stalkers, etc.

There are a number of people who have trouble getting state issued ID's. They shouldn't be denied the opportunity to have a cell phone.

Does anyone really think that someone who can smuggle drugs or weapons won't be able to find a way to get a cell phone in someone else's name?

If we would fucking KILL the terrorist over in the Middle East instead of coddling them, then we wouldn't have to worry about protecting against terrorism.

which is what the real criminals and terrorist will do anyway. Originally Posted by salesian

Nah. Real criminals and terrorists will own the prepaid companies and be able to use those phones w/o showing any kind of ID.

I agree with what most have said on here. The government is slowly but surely finding ways to control us. They eventually want to have us all chipped and have 100% control. Whatever you do, don't get chipped!

The goal of almost any politician is to remove the rights of the citizens as much as possible so as to control them; give them as many entitlements as possible so as to buy their votes; and take away their guns so as to protect the political establishment from removal by force.Party makes little or no difference except that the Democrats most often initiate these actions and the Republicans then ratify them. Originally Posted by John Bull

Tis sad...but 110% true.

Arm yourselves and defend your rights.

The shit is hitting the fan slowly and most take no notice.

They will though when they have nothing to protect themselves with any longer. That will make all the difference, but by then it will be too late.

KKA

Arm yourselves and defend your rights. Originally Posted by KlassyKelliAnn

The absolute best way to do that is to partake in the politcal process by getting out to vote.....

The shit is hitting the fan slowly and most take no notice. Originally Posted by KlassyKelliAnn

That is because too many Americans get so frustrated with the system that they just say "fuck it" as they don't feel as though they can do anything to make a significant change in the way things are done.....Thus, that accounts for the lack of people getting out to vote.....

They will though when they have nothing to protect themselves with any longer. That will make all the difference, but by then it will be too late.

KKA Originally Posted by KlassyKelliAnn

Tis sad, but unfortunately, tis so true.....

The pre-paid phone industry is BIIIGGG. They must know that a big chunck of their business is because of anominity. Don't they employ lobbyist??

If it becomes just another cell phone, (ie, traceable back to me), then to heck with it. It's going in the garbage. And TracPhone will loose my business.