There are several debates going on right now surrounding photo identification cards (id). Is it a civil rights violation to ask someone the police have stopped to show their government-issued id?  Is it right to ask for someone’s id at the voting polls?

Well, the answer seems clear to me – as American citizens, we have to show id all over the place to do much simpler things than prove we are licensed to drive or registered to vote, so why wouldn’t you?

Here are just a handful of examples of when people are asked for show their id, from the website RedBus2US:

Many times when you use your credit card such as the grocery store, gas station, restaurants, coffee shops and many others

To pick a package at the post office, FedEx or UPS

To get a library card

To buy liquor

To rent a car, boat, jet ski or canoe

To go through security at the airport

To withdraw money from the bank or cash a check

To get into Disneyland or other theme parks (Wonder if the president had to show his when he was in Orlando this week?)

With this list of simple things, the debate about driving or voting seems a little ridiculous to me. How about you? Do you think asking for someone’s id to vote or when they get stopped is somehow discriminatory? Please comment below.

Marijo Tinlin is the Editor in Chief of Family First, one of the oldest family-oriented websites on the internet. She is also the author of the new book about patriotism and teaching our children to love this country called “How to Raise an American Patriot, Making it Okay for Our Kids to Be Proud to Be American.”  It features 13 interviews with patriotic Americans including Ed Meese, Erick Erickson and Jackie Gingrich Cushman. It’s available at www.raisinganamericanpatriot.com.