🚀 go-pugleaf

In article <38p03r$m2h@crchh518.bnr.ca>, tomg@bnr.ca (Tom G) wrote:
> Yup.  Many also believe that requiring drivers licenses was the first 
> step to banning driving.  Any day now we will all be walking.

Well, actually, there has been some concern---not yet alarmed, but just a
mild concern---that driver licenses are being increasingly used by the
government for purposes other than regulating and ensuring safe driving
practices and conditions.  This was from an issue of The Atlantic about a
couple years ago.  It is starting out innocuously enough:  deadbeat child
support payments are cross-referenced to the licensing authority who
supsends and withholds driving priveleges until child protective services
issues a clearance.  Note I said *privelege*; this is how most statutes
currently on the books consider driving, as a privelege dispensed by the
government.  The Atlantic was just a bit concerned about this aspect as
well.  So far, so good, was their conclusion:  who could argue with making
deadbeats own up to their responsibility?  But the caution was noted that
it is not a very far step from this use of the driver license to other,
more unappropriate uses.

-- 
Anthony Yen <tyen@netcom.com>                      Austin, Texas, USA