Do we really live in a free country? A country that knows and controls the peoples every move does not necessarily mean freedom to me. From the moment the people are born, the U.S. government issues each and every person a number. This nine digit number is used to "watch" ones every move. This number is used to know where the people are, where they live, where they work, and even used by the government to know how much money they have. We as people are nothing but nine numbers. The people should not even have names, just this number. This number is our social security number. Some would call it proof that we, as individuals, exist. This essay will discuss the pros and cons of this social security number that we desperately need to have.
When social security numbers were first issued in 1936, the federal government assured the public that use of the numbers would be limited to social security programs.
English: Scanned image of author's US Social Secur...
English: The promotional US Social Security card a...
Social Security CardToday, however, the social security number is the most frequently used number for the recordkeeping in the United States. Social security numbers are used for employee files, medical records, health insurance accounts, credit and banking accounts, university ID cards, and many other purposes. In fact, the social security number is now required for dependents over one year of age if the parents claim the child for tax purposes.
Computer records have replaced paper filing systems in most organizations. Since more than one person may share the same name, accurate retrieval of information works best if each file is assigned a unique number. We should just all replace our names with our numbers. Many businesses and government agencies believe the social security number is made for this purpose. However, with the rise in the...