Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) vs. REAL ID

Unlike a REAL ID, which merely proves lawful presence in the United States, an Enhanced Driver’s License (EDL) also proves citizenship.

The catch? Only certain states bordering Canada offer them.

Originally developed for both U.S. and Canadian use as part of the Western Hemisphere Travel Initiative, as of May 2025 EDLs are only offered by the states of Michigan, Minnesota, New York, Vermont, and Washington. California considered issuing EDLs, but rejected the idea because of privacy concerns surrounding the underlying RFID technology.

No Canadian province offers EDLs any more. The last province, Manitoba, discontinued them in 2022.

Leonardo Garcia Venegas is a U.S. Citizen…but REAL ID Holders Don’t Have to Be

The Parnas Perspective offered its take on Garcia’s story. From Parnas’ post:

“Authorities allegedly dismissed the ID as fake and used force to detain him, with bystanders shouting that he was a citizen.”

Also listen to the accompanying video (which states that Garcia was born in Florida), and see my prior post.

Non-citizen REAL IDs? Sure.

One important clarification: non-citizens CAN obtain a REAL ID…provided that they are lawfully in the country and hold certain documents.

Here are California’s non-citizen REAL ID requirements, which are federally acceptable:

“This includes all U.S. citizens, permanent residents who are not U.S. citizens (Green Card holders), and those with temporary legal status, such as recipients of Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) or Temporary Protected Status (TPS) and holders of a valid student or employment visa. For Californians with temporary legal status, their REAL ID DL/ID card will expire on the same date as their U.S. legal presence document, and they can receive a new card with a documented extension of their legal status.”

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Leonardo Don’t Lose That Number

You know that I’ve railed against solely relying on knowledge-based authentication: for example, by relying on a person’s knowledge of a name and a birthdate to gain access to protected health information.

What when knowledge-based authentication receives HIGHER trust than other proofs of identity?

There is a story about Leonardo Garcia Venegas, who was working in Foley, Alabama. Apparently he was caught up in an immigration raid. So Garcia, who is a U.S. citizen, did the intelligent thing: he brought out his REAL ID, a document that can only be issued to someone after they prove they are a U.S. citizen.

Except…

“Garcia told Noticias Telemundo that authorities took his ID from his wallet and told him it was fake before handcuffing him.”

So how did he finally get released?

“Garcia said he was released from the vehicle where he was held after he gave the arresting officials his Social Security number, which showed he is a U.S. citizen.”

So apparently having a REAL ID counts for nothing, while being able to rattle off a Social Security Number counts as proof?

Frequent fliers and voters take note.

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The Word “Memorial” and the Phrase “Memorial Day”

Words matter. 

Since Bredemarket works in words, let’s examine the word “memorial.”

The Merriam-Webster definitions of the adjective or noun primarily emphasize remembrance or commemoration. In the general sense, a memorial doesn’t necessarily require some type of life or death struggle. 

Heck, the final episode of the TV show M*A*S*H can, and has, been memorialized. After all, the episode title incorporates the sacred word “Amen” into its title (“Goodbye, Farewell, and Amen”). And when you say Amen, you always explore Deep Meaning.

Forever and Ever, Amen anyone?

OK, in truth a memorial can be rather pedestrian. (Although I like Randy Travis.)

But when people in the United States encounter Memorial Day, the importance may escalate.

Or it may not, if you merely think of Memorial Day as Pool Opening Day or Get Propane for the Grill Day.

But this is the time that Americans who have fought in wars and police actions remind the rest of us that Memorial Day is not Veterans Day. Here is what American Legion Post 304 says, in part, about Memorial Day.

“Memorial Day, observed on the last Monday of May, is a day to honor members of the military who were killed in service, both during deployments overseas or in training and service in the U.S. Across the country, Americans spend the day visiting cemeteries, attending Memorial Day events and otherwise honoring those who lost their lives in service to the country.”

To be blunt about it, Memorial Day is a day about death, and if you can’t handle this truth, go back to the pool.

For example, the National World War II Museum notes that 407,316 U.S. military personnel were killed in World War II. This does not denigrate the civilian losses in Hawaii and elsewhere, nor does it denigrate the sacrifices outside of this country (24 million in the USSR alone), nor does it denigrate the losses in other wars.

But, as American Legion Post 304 reminds us, words matter.

“Because Memorial Day is a somber day to honor those who died in service to the country, saying “Happy Memorial Day” is considered to be in bad taste. For those who have lost family or friends through military service, the day is far from happy.”

And while John McCrae’s poem “In Flanders Fields” is primarily associated throughout the world with Remembrance Day (Veterans Day in the U.S.), in this country the subject matter of the poem naturally lends itself to Memorial Day observances.

“In Flanders fields the poppies blow

Between the crosses, row on row,

    That mark our place; and in the sky

    The larks, still bravely singing, fly

Scarce heard amid the guns below.

“We are the Dead. Short days ago

We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,

    Loved and were loved, and now we lie,

        In Flanders fields.

“Take up our quarrel with the foe:

To you from failing hands we throw

    The torch; be yours to hold it high.

    If ye break faith with us who die

We shall not sleep, though poppies grow

        In Flanders fields.”

(Riverside National Cemetery picture Sigris Lopez, CC BY-SA 4.0. Source.)

Escape from Spiderweb Mountain

In a recent Instagram post, Maxwell Finn wrote:

“People don’t buy solutions…they buy escape routes.”

If you apply the “people buy escape routes” thinking, what does Bredemarket offer?

I guess in Bredemarket’s case, I sell an escape from nothingness.

Not insightful.

My current clients realize the importance of a consistent presence, even without my help. They’re always reminding prospects of the benefits of their solutions.

Some of my former clients and non-clients never grasped that importance.

That’s NOT breaking news.

That’s why they are former clients and non-clients; they didn’t need me, or anyone else. One last blogged in February…February 2024. Wonder how many new prospects found THAT company today?

If you don’t want to escape the fate of anonymity, save time and stop reading here. If you want to escape this, read here…and better still, act by booking a meeting at https://bredemarket.com/cpa/

This is a real book: https://bredemarket.com/7qs/

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