November 7, 2007

Driver's licenses for illegal immigrants are opposed by some 77% of adults in our population.

The article goes on to remind us that many presidential candidates, including Sen. Clinton, are in favor of them, claiming that they're necessary for road safety.

Aren't a lot of accidents caused by U. S. citizens who hold driver's licenses?

What makes us think that giving illegal immigrants driver's licenses will make the roads safer?

Theoretically, a driver's license serves as a test to see that a person is capable of driving safely. A person could theoretically learn to drive safely without taking a test. After all, that's how people learned to drive before learner's permits. We should also recall that even a safe driver can be involved in a collision. A licensed driver is not necessarily one who will not be involved in a collision. Therefore, giving driver's licenses to illegal immigrants is unlikely to make them safer drivers.

The more likely reason that driver's licenses for illegal immigrants are being pushed is so that illegal immigrants can have some sort of documentation. In our world of bureaucracy, documentation is power. Approving any documentation for anyone gives that person power.

I think it ironic that national leaders are seriously suggesting that the government should give a license to people who are in the midst of violating the government's laws (living in the United States without permission.)

We learned on 9/11 that our driver's licenses were already far too easy to obtain, as several of the terrorists were able to obtain them. Should we really make our driver's licenses any easier to get? I'm not trying to suggest that all illegal immigrants are terrorists (thought we can't rule out the possibility that some are.) I'm suggesting that it's already far too easy to get a driver's license, and we should seriously consider improving licensing standards before the driver's license becomes totally worthless, or a hijacked political tool for whitewashing the crime of illegal immigration.