April 27, 2006 – On Tuesday the "Patriot Pastor", the Reverend Garret Lear stood on the grounds of the New Hampshire State Capitol to protest the federal Real ID Act. He praised the members of the state’s House of Representatives for voting last month against participating in Real ID saying, "Thanks be to God that the House voted" against the Real ID act. He went on to say that he was "ashamed" that more Christians weren’t protesting the law. Within hours of speaking, a State Senate committee let it be known that his voice and the voices of other protesters had been heard.

It was something of a surreal sight at New Hampshire’s State House on Tuesday. There were people dressed in Nazi uniforms, and those who wore the traditional three-pointed hat worn by colonists at the time of the American Revolution. Others came dressed in street clothing. All of them had one thing in common. They wanted to let their state senators know that they oppose the federal Real ID act.

The gathering had a carnival like atmosphere. To get into the protest rally or to gain access to the free popcorn stand that was setup, participants had to pass by a guard house that was manned by people in Nazi uniforms. Passersby had to say "F U" to the guards to get them to lift their gate. A sign read, "Say Yahvol to Real ID".

Speakers at the rally compared the Real ID act to laws that were put in place in Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union to monitor the movements of average citizens. Some went even further, saying that if Real ID is allowed to go into effect, it my signal the beginning of the apocalypse. One group of people at the rally even wore stickers on their foreheads with the numbers 666, referring to the "mark of the beast" as described in the Bible’s Book of Revelations.

While the sight of all of these things may have been quite odd, there was a very real message that the citizens of New Hampshire were trying to deliver to their state senators. A senate committee was set to vote on Wednesday whether or not to send HB 1582, a bill that would outlaw the state’s participation in Real ID, to the full senate for a vote.

Within hours it was clear that the protesters voices had been heard. Not only did the senators vote unanimously to send the bill to the floor, but Governor John Lynch said that he would sign the bill if it is passed into law. The Governor’s position on the law had been in doubt until his announcement yesterday.

The committee vote, coupled with the Governor’s announcement mean that New Hampshire is poised to opt out of Real ID. But the federal government is heavily lobbying some state senators to change their minds. The federal government fears that if New Hampshire actually passes this law, many other states will follow suit.