From: Michael S. Lorrey (retroman@turbont.net)
Date: Tue Aug 15 2000 - 06:40:09 MDT
Zero Powers wrote:
>
> >From: Paul Hughes <paul@planetp.cc>
> >
> >"Michael S. Lorrey" wrote:
> >
> > > I think you'll find that even if the government tried to force it on
> >people,
> > > they'd have a clause exempting people who claim a religious reason
> >(much as you
> > > can get out of social security payments if your religion forbids it
> >officially,
> > > like the Amish.)
>
> That may only get you so far. There was a guy out here in California
> recently who tried to get a drivers license without showing the DMV his SSN,
> (he claimed it was the "mark of the beast" foretold of in the book of
> Revelations). The DMV wasn't convinced, and refused to issue him a license.
> Naturally he sued (I did say he was from California didn't I?).
I don't have my ssn on my drivers license. The proper argument is that
it is illegal for other government agencies to use the ssn, that it is a
private number between the holder and the SSA, and forcing disclosure is
a federal felony violation of the Privacy Act of 1974, punishable by a
$20,000 fine and ten years in jail. Now, why did you want my SSN???? ;)
>
> The appellate court said "no dice." Driving is a privilege. You can refuse
> the mark of the beast if that's what is required to save your soul from
> Hell, but your price will be having to endure California's public
> transportation system (a fate far worse than Hell could ever be).
Thats what you get for not using the right code words. However, if you
are Amish, or belong to another religion that objects to social
security, and you legally don't have an SSN, they DO have to give you a
drivers license, or you can sue them for religious persecution. The guy
in the case you mention was probably some lone wacko who did not have
the weight of a real religion to back him.
-- TANSTAAFL Mike Lorrey "In the end more than they wanted freedom, they wanted security. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free." --- Edward Gibbon (1737-1794) "A person who wants a society that is both safe and free, wants what never has been, and what never will be." --- Thomas Jefferson "It's a Republic, if you can keep it..." --- Benjamin Franklin
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