People are missing the real tragedy brought to light by the fight over voter ID laws. Some fear that a citizen not possessing a valid photo ID will not be able to cast their vote in an election. Shouldn’t we be more concerned that these people without photo ID’s cannot:
Adopt a pet from a shelter Purchase a home
Purchase an automobile Purchase a gun
Withdraw money from a bank account Obtain a credit card
Obtain a passport Write a check
Make a credit card purchase Apply for a loan
Prove their age Get married
Apply for marriage license Drive a car
Buy or close on a house Get a mortgage on a house
Get medical care Get on a plane or cruise ship
Get car or homeowners insurance Get a job
Get a post office box Get a hunting license
Buy a fishing license Get a business license
Cash a paycheck Rent an apartment
Rent a hotel room Rent a car
Rent furniture Rent tools and equipment
Receive welfare Receive social security
Receive food stamps Buy cigarettes
Buy alcohol Buy a bus ticket
Buy a cell phone Buy any antihistamine
Go in to a casino, bar, strip club Get government assistance
Go to college Have your water turned on
Have your electricity turned on Have your cable turned on
Have your gas turned on Obtain trash pickup service
Pick up a package from the post office Pick up a package from Fed Ex Pick up a package from ups Pick up a prescription Enter a Federal Building Visit a friend in jail Open a bank account Get anything notarized Apply for Medicare or Medicaid Get a Senior Citizen discount Attend a presidential fundraiser Enter a Military Base Tour the White House
Aren’t the majority of the items on the list more important than voting? Since 30 to 45 percent of the people eligible to vote don’t, how important is it?
Where do these ID-less people live? They can’t buy a house or rent an apartment without an ID. Certainly can’t get a motel room. I doubt if you could get space in a government housing project without an ID. How do they live? It’s hard to get a job without an ID. Also hard to get unemployment, disability, social security or welfare without an ID. If they do have a source of income, they must keep the money in their pocket. You can’t open a bank account without an ID. They must walk everywhere or take the bus because you can’t buy a car or have it titled in your name without an ID. And you can’t legally drive the car without the most common form of ID, a driver’s license.
Since an ID is required for so many important everyday activities, I seriously question the number of voters without an ID. But I could be wrong. If you watch ” Cops” on TV, seems like nine out of ten traffic stops shown end up with nobody in the car having an ID.
If politicians really wanted to help their constituents, shouldn’t they be working on a National ID Card Bill so EVERYONE can rent a car, open a checking account, get on an airplane or pick up their own prescription medicines?