I cracked a smile when I read that Montana’s Democratic Governor Steve Bullock had stepped forward to be our protector of privacy.

Bullock is such a brave leader. So is the Republican Attorney General Tim Fox.

In case you missed it, in December the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) told Montana and several other states that they were not compliant with the REAL ID Act.

All Bullock did was send a letter to the Feds. He did not follow in the footsteps of former Governor Brian Schweitzer and attach a fake federal ID to a clay pigeon and shoot it.

Bullock basically told DHS to leave Montana alone when it comes to complying with the REAL ID Act. If he would have said anything else, he would have become a weak governor and the Republicans would have had an instant issue.

It was just a few years ago that Social Security Numbers (SSN) were on some state’s driver’s license…like Montana. Where were the privacy advocates back then? When I used checks, stores would take the SSN off my Montana driver’s license and write it on the check. I think I finally had my SSN printed on the checks to save time at the store.

From 1946 until 1972, Social Security Cards had the statement, “FOR SOCIAL SECURITY PURPOSES — NOT FOR IDENTIFICATION.”

I often engraved my SSN on valuables like electronics. I was getting rid of an old TV the other day and on the back of it was my name with my SSN. I quickly sanded it off. Whew…

Face it privacy advocates, I was living on the edge until Public Law 108-458 was implemented. That law prohibits SSNs from being used by states on driver’s licenses.

It’s shaping up to be like a good western movie! Steve Bullock and his sidekick in privacy, Tim Fox, will wear the white cowboy hats and take on the “bad guys” from DHS. The DHS folks will wear the black cowboy hats.

The problem is the Feds – the DHS folks – probably have the upper hand. If they stop Montanans from traveling via plane because Montanans don’t have a secure ID, it’s probably game, set, match. That could harm Montana’s economy. If the Feds withhold federal funding until Montana and other states comply, it could get really interesting.

It will be fun to watch this issue play itself out.

I imagine in the not too distant future we’ll probably have a national identification card with a chip embedded in it.

That way drones can more easily find us…

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