I called into a WABC radio talk show last night, late, and the host Mark something or other, in favor of the card. Yet during the hour that I listened, he NEVER told us how the card would help, and I finally got disgusted and called in.
When I asked him how it would stop an attack like this, he said it would have kept these people from buying airline tickets. I corrected him, and said that the attackers were not citizens, but here on visas, and would not need an ID card. He then said "Well, yeah, but they had expired visas."
I just shook my head in disbelief at his logic. I said "How would my having to have an ID card keep them from flying with an expired visa?" His reply was something like "INS doesn't have the money or the manpower to track down all of these expired visas." Now we were getting somewhere. I said "Maybe we need to give INS the money and manpower? Instead of forcing me to carry a card?" in a somewhat condescending manner.
He almost ashamedly agreed.
But then went on and on about how it's important to know for sure, who it is getting on the plane, for safty's sake.
My parting comment was "What good does it do to know for sure that it was Jim from CT that blew your plane to smitherines? The plane is gone. No body was any safer. Do something that makes people safer, not something that makes them think they are safer!" or something like that.
I hope I got through to him and some of his bonehead listeners. I am pleased to say that calls were about 50/50 for/against the ID card.
The talk show host wasn't Mark Davis, was it?
The talk show host wasn't Mark Davis, was it?
This pleases you?? It sickens me....
But thank you very much for calling in. You handled it perfectly. A salute!