General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: Thank You Mr. President. Thank You Gen. Holder [View all]Tanuki
(14,918 posts)Don't you find it odd that Texas is so selective about what kind of ID is acceptable (e.g., even the photo ID issued by a state university is not sufficient, but a concealed carry ID is fine)? When the Texas ID laws were struck down by the federal courts last year, they cited the huge discrepancy between possession of acceptable ID by Hispanic and non-Hispanic voters. This is part of a widespread, ALEC-sponsored initiative and you are being naïve or disingenuous if you want to pretend this is not a deliberate and ham-handed assault on the voting rights of groups (minorities, students, the disabled, the poor, etc.) that are more likely to vote for Democrats, and less likely to possess the proper ID. I live in Tennessee and although I have a car and a drivers license, in my state it is difficult for the rural poor to get to the offices where they would have to go. Women, especially the elderly, have been turned away because their birth certificate showed a different surname and then they had to jump through hoops to document their marriage, and it is not as simple as some people seem to think. When the voting clerk at the last election asked me if I had a photo ID, I said yes, and I also have a copy of the Constitution, which does not say anything about requiring a photo ID. It sickens me that all these flag-waving hypocrites who are always defending "the American way" are so quick to stomp down the basis of a democracy, i.e. the right of each citizen to participate on an equal basis in the electoral process.