House votes to require proof of citizenship to vote
The House voted today to require Americans to show proof of citizenship to vote at the polls. The 228-196 vote will mean that voters will need to show picture ID’s to get their ballots in, a measure sure to cause great amounts of screechings in our open-borders, pro-fraud-prone process supporters around the nation. The folks in Washington State and Wisconsin should be especially loud.
Already Democrats are complaining that this measure will hurt minorities, the poor, the elderly – and other groups who can’t produce identification but will vote Democrat because the Dems want to let them keep voting without it. It’s a ludicrous claim that, in this day and age when you need an ID to rent a car, fly on a plane, buy beer, or any number of other common events, that requiring an ID to vote is a “poll tax.” It’s just a hysterical, desperate grab and any argument, no matter how lame, to try to stop a common-sense law from being enacted.
Good job to House Republicans who continue to show the leadership needed today.
Comments
Comment from Ric James
Time September 20, 2006 at 21:38
And you contend that it’s more important to verify the valid paticipation in car rentals, air travel, and pub purchases than in casting a vote in our democracy? You’ve not said that explicitly, I realize, and I agree with you that there’s a big difference between the 2 categories. My contention is that voting is a far more important endeavor to be guaranteeing that only those elligible – citizens of our nation – are participating in the process.
Comment from Carpus
Time September 25, 2006 at 21:13
Actually, I don’t disagree with you about that. I do think the threat of voter fraud is overplayed by some, but I’ don’t think it’s unreasonable to verify that someone is a citizen. The problem is when you require people to pay for their ID, you will disenfranchise some of them. Some will not be able to pay and requiring them to pay for the ID is, in essence, a poll tax. I think the only fair way to deal with this (and the only way the constitution will allow) is for the state or federal government to use taxpayer money to pay IDs for all citizens. But I don’t think any government, state or federal, is going to be happy about doing that.
This of course brings up the whole issue of whether we should be required to have state-issued IDs and whether that infringes on privacy rights but let’s not go there right now …
Comment from Carpus
Time September 20, 2006 at 20:49
Yes, but there is no constitutional right to “rent a car, fly on a plane, buy beer, or any number of other common events” while there is most certainly a right to vote. There is a big difference between a civil right and chugging a beer.