Flights at risk as pilots refuse to accept 'demeaning' ID cards

[tr0tsky]

I'm thoroughly against the National ID Card, heavens knows I spend enough of my time writing and blogging against it, but your post, BottyTotty is extremely...strange to say the least.

Give me one good reason without any PC claptrap, why a British born and bred professional aviator with a full UK ATPL and a British passport, who does not claim benefits and is not an illegal immigrant, must carry an ID card.

Where does "PC" come into this? What does it matter if you're "British born and bred"? What does it matter if you claim benefits or are an immigrant, illegal or otherwise?

First of all, the arguments that the Government are using to justify ID cards are NOT “PC”, I’d say that they stood in stark contrast to the thoughts and feelings of those on the political Left/Liberals/the concept of “political correctness” people who band about the term bleat on about. The idea that migrant workers and international students should be forced to carry biometric cards to access essential services is disgusting and far, far from “PC”.

Migrant workers shouldn’t be forced to carry one. Young people shouldn’t be forced to carry one. Your great-aunt Ethel shouldn’t be forced to carry one.

What the piloting community needs to realize is that the Government is picking-off what it considers to be the easy targets. We need to approach the issue without the slightest whiff of Jingoism if we are to stop the ID card. This is because we need to campaign FROM THE START against their phased introduction. This means making links with organizations that represent migrant workers and international students.

I can’t remember off the top of my head how the poem goes, so I’ll do my best to reproduce it here:

First they came for the “illegal immigrants”, and I did not speak up for I was not an “illegal immigrant”,

Then they came for the International students, and I did not speak up for I was not an International student,

Then they came for me, and there was nobody left to speak up for me.