Reviving Jim Crow? (Barf)

Washington Post ^ | August 22, 2005 | David J. Becker

[RWR8189]

Any day now the Justice Department will render judgment on one of the single most discriminatory pieces of voting legislation of recent years: a Georgia state law requiring voters to present one of only six forms of photo identification before they can exercise their right to vote. Before enforcing this statute, Georgia must get Justice Department approval by proving that the law will not put minority voters in a worse position than they were in before the requirement was instituted.

The facts surrounding Georgia's voter identification requirement cannot be disputed. Virtually every black legislator opposes the legislation, and most black lawmakers staged a walkout to protest its passage. Every major civil rights and minority advocacy group, including the NAACP, and many legal scholars, oppose the restriction; several have submitted comments to the Justice Department for consideration.

Additionally, it is surprisingly difficult to obtain a photo ID in Georgia. Though the state has 159 counties, there are only 56 places in which residents can obtain a driver's license, and not one is within the city limits of Atlanta or within the six counties that have the highest percentage of blacks.

There is also considerable evidence that photo ID requirements have a disproportionately negative impact on blacks and other minorities. The Justice Department found as recently as a decade ago that blacks in Louisiana were four to five times less likely than whites to have photo IDs

[RWR8189]

If you don't have any form of acceptable ID how do write/cash a check, board an airplane ect ect?

If you don't care enough to go through the process for registration then you probably shouldn't be voting in the first place.

[BenLurkin]

Requiring proof of citizenship is the equivalent of "Jim Crow"?

DOESN'T.

MAKE.

SENSE.

[kingu]

Furthermore, while purporting to combat fraud, the Georgia law expressly excludes absentee ballots from the ID requirement. While all the evidence indicates that minorities are far less likely to vote absentee than whites, absentee balloting is the only form of voting in which there is documented fraud in Georgia. The exclusion of absentee ballots from the identification requirement raises serious questions about whether the anti-fraud justification for the law is purely pretextual.

Ahh, yes, the Democrats have already identified the glaring loophole and bemoan the fact that they'll have to triple the number of operatives needed to deliver and pick up absentee ballots.

[Hendrix]

We all know why the democrats are against the ID--it makes it harder for them to commit voter fraud. That's the bottom line. Without voter fraud, the last presidential election would not have been near as close as it was (and Al Gore would have lost by a huge margin in 2000). Voter fraud is the only means the democrats have of winning elections, but for them, "the end justifies the means".

The Democrats only believe in a democracy when they can either fool enough people with lies that they are really not left wing nuts or when they can steal elections with voter fraud.

[SoDak]

They made that the law here after all the dems shenanigans in the 2002 Senate race and the left howled it up about how it disenfranchised Native Americans. How hard is it to carry a photo id? It would only seem reasonable to have to prove you are who you say you are when you vote. Anything less is utter nonsense.

[Search4Truth]

Are these photo ID's provided free, or do I have to pay a fee to exercise my fundamental right as an American to vote?

[mhking]

Additionally, it is surprisingly difficult to obtain a photo ID in Georgia. Though the state has 159 counties, there are only 56 places in which residents can obtain a driver's license, and not one is within the city limits of Atlanta or within the six counties that have the highest percentage of blacks.

He's full of used food. While there is not one within the city limits, there are locations in many of the suburbs - and at least one in each of the counties he cites.

There are two in Cobb Co., three in Fulton Co., three in DeKalb Co., two in Gwinnett Co....

I could keep going, but the bottom line is that this moron doesn't understand reality.

Most people have drivers' licenses. The state makes it easy to obtain a license or state ID. The governor is establishing mobile ID units so that people who cannot get to the locations (i.e., the homeless; seniors, etc.) can get them.

If someone cannot afford a state ID (which is $20 for five years or $35 for ten), the state will provide one FREE OF CHARGE!

The bottom line is that under the present system, any Tom, Dick or Harry with a utility bill in his hand can use that as ID to vote. Hell, I could swipe a utility bill out of someone's mailbox and claim to be them.

You need a photo ID to cash a check at a bank (the claim that most of these race baiters use is that there are some people who don't cash checks -- I don't buy that arguement), to catch a plane or to catch Amtrak. You need a photo ID in some cases to pick up a check or to claim government benefits.

This is nothing but partisan politics. The state (and it's Republican governor) has made it as easy as possible to get a government-issued photo ID. The claims that the left are making on this are insane. I don't understand what possible reason they could have to claim this is racist, unless they want to keep the black community from thinking for themselves.

Just damn.

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[Search4Truth]

"If someone cannot afford a state ID (which is $20 for five years or $35 for ten), the state will provide one FREE OF CHARGE!"

Then I have no problem with this legislation.

[IronMan04]

It will be seen as a poll tax.

[xrp]

Why haven't/didn't Shirley Franklin/Bill Campbell/Maynard Jackson/Andrew Young ever do anything about this?

[cyborg]

unless they want to keep the black community from thinking for themselves.

*Ya think???

[CurlyBill]

I often wonder how many Democrats are in office solely because there is massive voter fraud that has been hidden for decades because of policies where no ID is required. One has to wonder why any sane person could oppose IDs at voter precincts.... unless, well you know. If all else fails, raise the race card... it works. SICKENING!!

[rdcorso]

The Rats don't want voters to show ID because it will cut into their illegal voting practices.The cry of Jim Crow only shows how idiotic these people are.If you can't prove who you are,where you live or your legal age,you shouldn't be allowed to vote.I guess this clown doesn't think black people are smart enough to carry identification and should be treated like children.

[mhking]

Why haven't/didn't Shirley Franklin/Bill Campbell/Maynard Jackson/Andrew Young ever do anything about this?

It's a state of Georgia issue -- the better question is why Roy Barnes or even (gasp!) Zell Miller didn't do anything about this. Why'd it take GOP governor Sonny Perdue to "git' 'er done?"

[Steve_Seattle]

"Are these photo ID's provided free, or do I have to pay a fee to exercise my fundamental right as an American to vote?"

Presumably, most Americans acquire photo ID during the normal course of their lives, e.g., when they get a driver's license, passport, or state ID required by banks and businesses for many routine financial transactions.

[goldstategop]

The Democrats can't win without vote fraud. I guess if voters had prove who they say they are... multiple voting would become extinct. It can't happen soon enough.

(Denny Crane: "Sometimes you can only look for answers from God and failing that... and Fox News".)

[Rebelbase]

"If you don't have any form of acceptable ID how do write/cash a check, board an airplane ect ect?"

You'd be shocked at how many don't do either.

[Search4Truth]

"Presumably, most Americans acquire photo ID during the normal course of their lives, e.g., when they get a driver's license, passport, or state ID required by banks and businesses for many routine financial transactions."

Since the state will provide the photo ID, good for up to 10 years, free to those who can not afford them, then I don't see how this legislation creates any impediment to people voting.

[layman]

Here's the solution to the voter fraud problem. If a voter shows up at the polling place with photo ID and matches up with the registration file, he/she votes, dips his/her finger in purple ink, and goes home. If a voter shows up without photo ID and matches up with the registration file, he/she votes, dips his/her finger in purple ink, and goes home. Those who do not match up with the registration file just go home. In this age of super computers and iris scan technology this can be done. Now if we could only figure out what to do about all those registered voters who don't show up to vote, and so the poll workers vote for them. Naaaah .... that never happens, does it?

[cksharks]

That is such a stupid statememnt I will not even go there!