License check: There's nothing wrong with granting credentials

Deciding to issue some driver's licenses to illegal immigrants in North Carolina is a good step.

It does not make a statement about immigration policy and it is not amnesty.

Honestly, it is a way to track those who are in the country illegally -- and to start them on the right path toward citizenship.

But the problem is, it will not address either of the real issues: those who are driving illegally and shouldn't be, and those who do not fit any of the listed categories, and therefore do not qualify for the identification.

Issuing the licenses is a tentative first step -- and a way to start the ball rolling on deciding what to do about illegal immigration in North Carolina. It solves few problems, but it starts the discussion.

And interestingly enough, it raises another issue -- identification in general.

Those who support the measure say a driver's license or some form of identification is a must in today's world.

So, perhaps this is a chance to start the discussion of making identification a requirement to vote. It seems like the logical next step.

Published in Editorials on February 15, 2013 10:19 AM