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Your Papers, Please!

By George Baumler

  Drivers' licenses, national ID cards, on-file photographs of citizens, and other police state ideas are more and more in vogue lately.  Reasons vary from xenophobia, to the drug war or the national crisis du jour.  Kentuckians narrowly avoided a scheme to use driver’s license photos as a substitute for a criminal lineup.  Proponents shilled that the photos would not be used as the sole reason for arresting an individual.  Some of the same folks assured everyone that no one would be stopped and cited solely for not wearing a seat belt in a private automobile.  The credibility gap is not getting any narrower.

  No one has made much mention of what might happen in the not unlikely event someone were to be merely investigated as a result of a mistaken identification, let alone falsely arrested and charged.  First of all, the police might question all the neighbors about any suspicious activities they've observed.  That may not be a problem unless one or two neighbors have grudges.  Let's say the worst case happens, the police talk to the folks living two doors down, the ones who own the dog that barks all night long, the ones a potential suspect lodged numerous complaints about.  Now the men in blue have their suspect and obtain a search warrant to seal the deal.  They search the innocent suspect's home in delicate police fashion and find cash!  Aha!  Proof the suspect is a drug lord and not just an eccentric who doesn't trust banks. 

   The trouble only gets deeper for the hapless soul whose only real crime is to resemble someone who actually is a criminal.  Now his financial assets are seized and somehow he must retain an attorney to prove his innocence.  His employer doesn't want the publicity and quietly lets him go.  Then, Happy days are here again!  The police found our look alike wasn't the guy after all, and he could sue to have his money returned and could also hire an attorney to get his job back.  He then could perhaps afford to patch is house, somewhat damaged in the ever so delicate police search.  Just one thing -- the police will be keeping an eye on Mr. Look Alike; probable dope dealing, cash hoarding criminal looking, so and so.  Aside from being watched, having his home wrecked, losing his job, being financially ruined by attorneys’ fees, no harm done.  Welcome to the new Amerika, your papers please.

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