I went to the local Dept of Licensing office to renew my drivers license, which expires this year. Previously I had upgraded my license to a “Real ID,” so I can use it for ID on domestic air flights. This required presenting proof of citizenship. No problem. I presented my birth certificate and passport. The deadline for obtaining a Real ID for domestic air travel is fast approaching. It’s May 7, 2025. After this date, travelers will need a Real ID-compliant driver's license or identification card, or another acceptable form of identification, to board domestic flights. For this reason, at the DOL office, the clerks are asking everyone if they want to upgrade their license to Real ID, and if so, then asking for proof of citizenship. I’d already done it. This was just a renewal. No problem. But…
In the line ahead of me was a woman of Asian ethnicity who apparently had a regular drivers license. The clerk asked her if she wanted to upgrade to a Real ID, explained why, and the woman said yes.
Then the clerk asked, “Are you a US citizen?”
I saw the look on the woman’s face. It happened so fast. It was only there for an instant.
It was a look of fear.
She said emphatically but politely, “Yes.”
The clerk asked if the woman had brought the necessary documents with her to prove her citizenship. The woman said no, she didn’t know she needed them, and she’d come back later.
American citizens who are born here, but don’t look like they’re of European descent, are now afraid of their own government.
Bob Young /
npub1d5…9eu62
2025-04-06 02:55:33
Author Public Key
npub1d5mcrhz7v8ykwwc4sld0j5xdn4q8wrdt94ezewrmrpjmctxgzdwsw9eu62Published at
2025-04-06 02:55:33Event JSON
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"content": "I went to the local Dept of Licensing office to renew my drivers license, which expires this year. Previously I had upgraded my license to a “Real ID,” so I can use it for ID on domestic air flights. This required presenting proof of citizenship. No problem. I presented my birth certificate and passport. The deadline for obtaining a Real ID for domestic air travel is fast approaching. It’s May 7, 2025. After this date, travelers will need a Real ID-compliant driver's license or identification card, or another acceptable form of identification, to board domestic flights. For this reason, at the DOL office, the clerks are asking everyone if they want to upgrade their license to Real ID, and if so, then asking for proof of citizenship. I’d already done it. This was just a renewal. No problem. But…\n\nIn the line ahead of me was a woman of Asian ethnicity who apparently had a regular drivers license. The clerk asked her if she wanted to upgrade to a Real ID, explained why, and the woman said yes.\n\nThen the clerk asked, “Are you a US citizen?”\n\nI saw the look on the woman’s face. It happened so fast. It was only there for an instant.\n\nIt was a look of fear.\n\nShe said emphatically but politely, “Yes.”\n\nThe clerk asked if the woman had brought the necessary documents with her to prove her citizenship. The woman said no, she didn’t know she needed them, and she’d come back later.\n\nAmerican citizens who are born here, but don’t look like they’re of European descent, are now afraid of their own government.",
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