I live in one of the majority of states that simply made this part of the state ID process years ago, and I'm struggling with the way decades later this is apparently still such a huge ordeal for some.

The article talks about not wanting to give more of your personal data and yet advocates for getting a passport or passport card... So, do the same basic thing and share the same basic data with the same basic government? What principle is being upheld again?

"Just use your passport", sure if you have one. That's fine. Passports are the gold standard. But not all Americans have them, they need to be renewed, they are anything but free, and they take time and effort to obtain.

And the end of the article, with the author acting like they're clever for using their passport at the airport? TSA agents see them all the time, like every day all day. Of course it's fine.

Got mine about 10 years ago. Gets me into Canada.

I'd rather not carry my passport if I don't need to. Real ID is part of my driver's license - and has been for years. Now my driver's license is in my digital wallet and accessible via my Apple Watch. I may forget my watch, I may forget my wallet, and I may forget my phone: but I've never forgotten all three! So I always have ID and a means to pay.