Howard Dean's 'smart' ID plan

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Yep, speed limits are bad.: The objective is to avoid killing kids, right? So how about making the law read "Don't, either deliberately or accidently, kill kids." and leave it to drivers how to achieve that effect in school zones.

What's wrong with doing 100mph in a school zone when there aren't any kids around? Who's being hurt?

When you start legislating specific means to achieve certain results, rather than the results themselves, you either wind up with some hyper-specified tangle no one can read or understand, or something so simplistic it does more harm than good.

Every state has a law against murder. And none of them says "Causing the death of a human being by: misuse of a gun, misuse of a knife, misuse of a baseball bat, ... strangulation by rope, plastic bags, twisted sheets... poisoning by arsenic, carbon monoxide, cyanide,... etc. etc. shall be illegal." You do that and someone is going to decide that offing passing strangers is OK because the law didn't specify it's illegal to bash them on the skull with a golf club.

So, yes, speed limits are bad. Speed, per se, never killed anyone -- it's that big impact that does the damage. Most of us are bright enough to figure how to avoid causing that impact without swarms of bureacrats micromanaging our driving -- and those that aren't bright enough aren't going to pay much attention to the speed limits in the first place.

And, since, I don't intend to kill anyone, and am good at not crashing my car into people or things, I really don't see why I should be forced to drive a certain way just because the gov't thinks it knows better than I do how not to cause damage with a car.; Posted by: Chris Moller Posted on: 01/26/04 You are currently: a Guest | Members login | Terms of Use

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Whoa, bad idea el1jones | 01/26/04

One way or another, not both doctormoriarty | 01/26/04

Clueless! DarbyOhara | 01/26/04

hunting down non-ID card people pschroeder@... | 01/26/04

hmm JWatson77 | 01/26/04

What About Anonymous Political Speech Repeal | 01/26/04

Great points Repeal. Tim Patterson | 01/26/04

That's NOT proteced & never was j.m.galvin | 01/26/04

Some people will never understand. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Thanks Declan... Tim Patterson | 01/26/04

Even Worse j.m.galvin | 01/26/04

The automated Gestapo Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Acually j.m.galvin | 01/26/04

Statism Chris Moller | 01/26/04

wow biophile6 | 01/26/04

Confusion Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Hmm, so speed limits are bad? No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Yep, speed limits are bad. Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Good Post Chris SloooeShflu | 01/26/04

Fortunately for us, it will never happen. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Ignores data VW_Feature | 01/26/04

the problem with speed limits wizard_of_oz | 01/28/04

To paraphrase Forrest Gump. . .. salgak@... | 01/26/04

Vee Haff Your Number . . . gafisher@... | 01/26/04

Smartcards are a dumb idea. Tammee | 01/26/04

And you suggest what? No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Well, what do YOU suggest?? SloooeShflu | 01/26/04

Here's one, stop ranting and start thinking. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

I sugest ... Tammee | 01/26/04

"smart" technology... Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Your suggestion then is do nothing??? No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

You got it, Ax -- do nothing. Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Ok, you do nothing, others will do "something". No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

doing nothing Chris Moller | 01/26/04

'smart ID' plan nite_w0lf | 01/26/04

Political types no better than you and me. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Must have hit a nerve!!! No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Nerves Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Chris, that was the point. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Apologies Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Biodata is OK for this biophile6 | 01/26/04

Joe Trippi worked for Wave dham340 | 01/26/04

oh right biophile6 | 01/26/04

Gee, what a surprise. . . . salgak@... | 01/26/04

So then, what do you suggest as a solution? No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

I Don't. I also don't see the problem this solves. . . . salgak@... | 01/26/04

Free has many meanings. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Ah, yes. The Terrorist Argument. . . salgak@... | 01/26/04

It's not an argument, its a fact. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

I'm not sniping. . . salgak@... | 01/26/04

Okay, here's a suggestion... Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Obviously you didn't lose anyone in 9/11 No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Actually, I did. . . . salgak@... | 01/26/04

9/11 Chris Moller | 01/26/04

Suggestions... noShut_z | 01/26/04

I agree, it needs to be discussed by all. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

I dont think you would like the answer Ax nite_w0lf | 01/26/04

Vocal civil libertarian, Alan Dershowitz supports Jose Jimenez | 01/26/04

ID card idea quantumvista | 01/26/04

yeah, right rpmyers1 | 01/28/04

Disjointed subsets Robert Crocker | 01/26/04

I agree with you. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Not sure there IS a right way Robert Crocker | 01/26/04

Try this one. No_Ax_to_Grind | 01/26/04

Interesting but flawed view! B.O.F.H. | 01/26/04

Hrmmmm Robert Crocker | 01/27/04

I think this got SPUN a bit skullaria | 01/26/04

Proof? acetroubleshooter | 02/04/04

bad good nograin | 01/26/04

Combine Dean with MSFT's "Palladium" andrewp111 | 01/26/04

Typical biased media attack What objectivity? VW_Feature | 01/26/04

Touching post Chris Moller | 01/27/04

Let's not forget states rights. IHaveSomethingToSay | 01/27/04

Don't beleive it independent confirmation needed cpratt@... | 01/27/04

An excellent piece of hack work rakdaddy | 01/27/04

Where's the Proof? Traditional Smear Tactic. paultopia | 01/27/04

found the transcript! paultopia | 01/27/04

This is plain distortion! Dean supports privacy. zestyping | 01/27/04

Here's the Source; This author should read it too earthwrk@... | 01/28/04

Unfair to Dean, again. Cyberoid | 01/29/04

Opt in and useful eidola | 01/30/04

'Smart ID' a Smart Idea drewnri | 01/30/04

Privacy is an illusion illusion_z | 01/31/04

under this plan, Linux would be made illegal wvoutlaw2002 | 07/05/05

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