James Randi reports:
PLEASE NO PHOTOS!
"Reader Aaron Drabbit reports the latest inanity from Canada. You
should know that the Hutterites are a pacifist, communal, religious
movement with 472 communities all over the world. In the USA, they
were persecuted for their pacifist attitude during World War I. As a
result, 17 of the 18 then-existing American colonies moved to the
Canadian provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Saskatchewan.
A southern Alberta Hutterite community that believes the Bible forbids
being photographed has won a court challenge against mandatory
pictures on driver's licenses, though a provincial law passed in 2003
requires that all new licenses include a photograph. Some Hutterites
believe that the Second Commandment prohibits them from willingly
having their picture taken. Note the word, “willingly.” This leads me
to suggest that someone sneak up on an applicant, snap a photo of him,
willy-nilly, and secretly give it to the license agency, so the
Hutterite will not be guilty, but could still be identified!
As a result of this brouhaha, the number of licensed drivers in the
community dwindled from 37 to 15. How about letting natural selection
take over here? An official stressed that pictures are key tools to
prevent identity theft, in a province that has – except for the
Hutterite citizens – one of the most secure driver's licenses in North
America.
I ask again: when will we grow up?"
http://www.randi.org/jr/2006-05/051906sylvia.html#i11
--
.
|
