MCViewPoint

In April of 2004, the 9/11 Commission began its tenth public hearing in Washington, D.C., probing the intelligence and law enforcement failures that allowed the September 11 attacks. Over two days, ending April 14, the commission grilled top officials like FBI Director Robert Mueller, Attorney General John Ashcroft, and CIA Director George Tenet, alongside former leaders like Janet Reno and Louis Freeh. The hearings exposed gaps—missed warnings, siloed agencies, and lax airport security—that let 19 hijackers execute their plan, killing nearly 3,000 Americans.

The commission’s 2004 report didn’t just dissect the past; it reshaped the future. Its call for tighter ID standards to prevent terrorist travel birthed the REAL ID Act in 2005, mandating a national ID system through state driver’s licenses. Sold as a fix for 9/11’s vulnerabilities, REAL ID requires biometric data, federal oversight, and links to sprawling databases—tracking where you fly, bank, or even enter a government building. With enforcement delayed time and time, the truth is clear: this isn’t about catching bad guys; it’s about watching and tracking everyone. The War on Terror’s fear machine turned a tragedy into an excuse for control.

The Libertarian Party of Pennsylvania rejects this overreach. The 9/11 hearings showed government failed—not because it lacked power, but because it misused it. Piling on surveillance through REAL ID doesn’t make us safer; it makes us suspects in our own country. Freedom means moving through life without a federal leash, not proving your identity to board a plane. Let’s scrap REAL ID and the War on Terror’s bloated legacy—liberty, not tracking, is our shield.