Driver's license rules unbalanced
Regarding your editorial, "Driver's license rules in need of overhaul" (Jan. 20):
I have to say I had a very irritating experience at the DMV recently while taking my 15-year-old son to get his driver's permit.
In order to obtain a driver's permit, my son completed the driving course at school. Then we took the certificate along with our hospital birth certificate and his Social Security card. In addition to all of his identification, they also had to use my driver's license for proof as well, and also my Social Security number.
While we were there, I was told that the "hospital" copy of a birth certificate was not sufficient, even along with his original Social Security card. Instead, we had to go downtown and pay $10 to get the "original" birth certificate and then bring it back to them.
While we were being told this, I started looking around and I saw other people who were also there to obtain a North Carolina driver's license, some non-English speaking and also some English-speaking immigrants, and they did not even have a Social Security number. They were only asked for a visa or some other type of identification.
This is very disturbing. It seems like those of us who are citizens have to provide more proof than those who are not U.S. citizens. Our state needs to rethink this process.
I asked someone there why this has to be so difficult, and I was told since 9/11, things have become tighter. Which I do agree with, but why not for immigrants? Is that not the purpose -- to prevent a loophole in the system?
I do not have a problem with anyone coming here from other countries, but if I should have to have proper identification to protect against fraud and terrorism, so should everyone else.
Christina Morehead
Greensboro
Comments (3)
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Welcome to the post 9/11/2001 21st century. Further, welcome to the new BUSH immigration policy! Guilty until proven innocent, unless you come in from the outside. Remember, this is the same administration that granted at least 2 visas to perpetrators of the 9/11/2001 tragedy MONTHS after the tragedy!
Posted on February 1, 2005 11:42 AM
Are you going to blame our President for everything? Do you believe that the terrorists just started hating America when Bush was elected? Do you believe that preparations for the attacks against us were begun only when Bill Clinton left office? Get real, Darryl. The mistakes that were made in our imigration departments have been going on for YEARS, and they will not be corrected over night. Had Clinton had the guts to send in the troops and take these guys out when he had a chance we would not be in this situation.
Posted on February 1, 2005 12:28 PM
I also have had a bad experience at the drivers license office. I drove tractor trailer trucks for 30 years and came off the road for a couple of years and got a class C license. I decided to go back on the road but was told I would have to go to a class and take a road test to see if I could drive a truck. As I said, I drove for 30 years with 2.5 million safe miles. An illegal alien can go into a license office with hardly any form of ID and can get a drivers license. I di not jump through the hoops that the examiners wanted me to so I didn't get my CDL. I think I'll move to Mexico, establish citizenship, and come back here and get my CDL!
Posted on February 2, 2005 5:43 PM