John Derbyshire

Following the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on America, many people advocated instituting a system in which every U.S. citizen would be required to carry a national ID card. John Derbyshire argues in the following viewpoint that a mandatory national ID card would destroy the freedoms that define America, a nation in which people can move freely and engage in private interactions with others without government interference. According to Derbyshire, such a card—which would contain the holder’s name, address, photo, and fingerprint—would not help fight terrorism. In fact, in Derbyshire’s opinion, real terrorists would continue to evade detection while average Americans’ lives would be scrutinized by unscrupulous government officials. John Derbyshire is a columnist for the National Review.

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