Maine Civil Liberties Union:

222 moved to action with our last alert. Now we need you to take it one step further.

March 31 is the arbitrary and political deadline that the Department of Homeland Security has set for Maine (and every other state) to profess submission to the REAL ID program in the form of a REAL ID waiver application.

Maine hasn't caved yetâ€¦but there are only 3 states standing in this fight against the REAL ID. The Department of Homeland Security has cajoled and threatened Maine with the specter of increased security screening and worse if we don't cave.

Help us help Maine's Governor and Secretary of State stand up to Michael Chertoff and President Bush.

Rumor has it that Governor John Baldacci reviews the editorial pages of Maine's major newspapers every day. That means every day we have the opportunity to chat with Baldacci about our civil liberties celebrations and concerns.


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	Because Freedom Can't Protect Itself.

	222 moved to action with our last alert. Now we need you to take it one step further. March 31 is the arbitrary and political deadline that the Department of Homeland Security has set for Maine (and every other state) to profess submission to the REAL ID program in the form of a REAL ID waiver application. Maine hasn't caved yetâ€¦but there are only 3 states standing in this fight against the REAL ID. The Department of Homeland Security has cajoled and threatened Maine with the specter of increased security screening and worse if we don't cave. Help us help Maine's Governor and Secretary of State stand up to Michael Chertoff and President Bush. Rumor has it that Governor John Baldacci reviews the editorial pages of Maine's major newspapers every day. That means every day we have the opportunity to chat with Baldacci about our civil liberties celebrations and concerns. WRITE A LETTER TO YOUR EDITOR ON REAL ID. KEEP REAL ID OUT OF MAINE. SUBMISSION INFORMATION Bangor Daily News Email letters@bangordailynews.net Kennebec Journal, click here. Morning Sentinel, click here. Lewiston Sun Journal, click here. Brunswick Times Record Email letters@timesrecord.com Portland Press Herald, click here. TALKING POINTS REAL ID is a de facto national identification card. REAL ID threatens our privacy. REAL ID creates a shared centralized database system of Americans' personal information. REAL ID makes us less safe; centralization of personal data under REAL ID creates a one-stop shop for identity thieves. REAL ID creates a government surveillance mechanism through the requirement of a "machine readable zone" on the back of the card, allowing the federal government to track our movements. That machine readable zone allows for the easy capture of personal data by private companies or anyone with a reader. Nothing in the law prohibits entities like your doctor's office or the grocery store from requiring that you swipe your REAL ID for entry. Cost: Implementing REAL ID is estimated to cost $185 million to the State of Maine in the first five years of operation, an exorbitant amount to pay for a privacy nightmare. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION www.realnightmare.com Sample Letters for REAL ID (If this link fails to work, click here.) Send us a copy when the local newspaper prints your letter at info@mclu.org. Done with the editorial? Send an email to Baldacci. Make sure to spread the word to your friends! Thanks for all that you do, Alex, Brianna, Ed, Marian, Shenna, Zach	Action Center Sign up to receive weekly email updates about important civil liberties issues and what you can do to take action! read the archive>>> sign up>>>	home \| about us \|donate \| programs \| issue areas news \| membership \|contact us \| national aclu

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