The voter ID bill, called the “Voter Information
Verification Act or VIVA” if it becomes law, would require voters to present a
state-issued photo ID in order to cast an in person ballot beginning in 2016.
Republicans have apparently received the message from the courts that voter ID
laws are difficult to defend. See our article, Under judicial review, voter ID laws crumble.
To that end the North Carolina voter ID bill is a kinder, gentler animal that
would allow for multiple forms of state-issued IDs such as drivers licenses,
non-operator licenses, student IDs from state universities and, IDs issued to state
government employees. For the poor, the new photo ID cards would be issued free
of charge if the voter swears to economic
hardship – that’s nice. The bill would also waive fees for the economically challenged to obtain the necessary
documentation required to get the new ID such as a birth certificate.
This latest effort by Republicans to force new
requirements on voters labors to anticipate legal challenges. The legislation goes
to some lengths to ease the burden of getting a new ID but not so far as to
erase the true purpose of the bill, which is to decrease voter participation among
groups of citizens who typically vote for Democrats. The bill, for instance,
has a nuanced grandfather clause for the elderly, allowing for the use of some
forms of expired ID. However, the bill does not grandfather in all senior
citizens, say beginning at the age of 65, by allowing them to continue voting
exactly as they have been voting all of their lives, without having to show ID.
Seniors would still have to acquire new IDs under this latest GOP effort to block
the vote. Those of us with elderly relatives can attest that getting them (many
whom may be sick and/or home bound) to one or more government offices to first
obtain a birth certificate and then to another to acquire the new ID is, to
put it mildly, overly burdensome.
"reform"
The GOP voting "reform" bills don’t
stop at imposing a new voter ID requirement. The complete package of House and
Senate bills would also end same day voter registration, cut the number of
early voting days, cut the number of early voting polling sites and, eliminate
Sunday voting altogether. We have to ask, just what "reform" purpose
is served by this assault on same day voter registration? Why cut the number of
early voting days and, why end Sunday voting altogether? The answer to these
questions is this, Democrats more than Republicans utilize early voting and
Democrats more than Republicans register to vote on election day. Kill same day
voter registration, condense the number of early voting days and Voilà,
Republicans have dramatically decreased electoral participation among
Democratic leaning voters. Still, this is not the worst of the Republican
"reform" efforts. More cynical than crafting laws to kneecap the
political opposition is the GOP's indecorous and unbridled objective to keep
Black Christians from voting. Why eliminate Sunday voting specifically?
Consider this, it is widely known that African American Christians organize
what is referred to as “Souls
to the Polls” on the Sunday before an election. Many church organizations
have a time honored tradition of busing or car pooling congregants to early
voting polling sites that are open on Sunday. This particular feature of the
legislation, eliminating Sunday voting altogether, makes it clear that the "God and Bible" Republicans are
specifically targeting African American Christians. So much for the GOP's $10 million outreach to minorities initiative. If
Republicans succeed
at eliminating Sunday voting, Christians should avail themselves of
the option to vote by mail and organize “Souls to the Mailbox” one two weeks
before an election. Click to learn how to vote by mail in North Carolina.
SOUL SEARCHING
Critical thinking can be described as “the identification and evaluation of evidence to guide decision making. A critical thinker uses broad in-depth analysis of evidence to make decisions and communicate his/her beliefs clearly and accurately." In crafting their voter ID law and other extraneous impediments to voting, one wonders what kind of critical thinking Republicans are engaged in and, from where it originates. In 2012 I wrote in this column, “It has taken forty-eight years for the Republican Party of Lincoln to contort itself into the Segregationist Party of Strom Thurmond. In 1964 U.S. Senator Strom Thurmond of South Carolina joined the GOP. Since that time there has been an unmistakable trajectory of the Republican Party away from the values and principles of President Lincoln as the party morphed into and came to embody the views and politics of the hateful, racist, segregationist Thurmond” At the time, some thought my comments and analysis were hyperbole. The evidence, however, begs to differ. Republicans see a changing America, one that is less Caucasian, less rural and more open to evolving ideas of family and community. Their response heretofore has been to resist this organic demographic configuration and vainly contrive laws (voter IDs, gerrymandering and other insidious forms of constraint) that would hamper and outright disenfranchise the new American majority. How very apartheid of them.
The
online reference source, Dictionary.com,
defines the word, ethical, this way,
“pertaining to
or dealing with morals or the principles of morality; pertaining to
right and wrong in conduct.”. Republicans, not just in North Carolina, are
engaged in creative and immoral scheming, not critical or ethical thinking.
They have taken a defensive posture towards a changing America. Before history forever
consigns them to ridicule and scorn, Republicans everywhere should step back, take
a long and hard look at themselves, their past (Lincoln), present (Thurmond)
and possible future. Republicans, particularly those in elective office, need to find and engage their moral compass and, find the courage to accept inevitable - change.
Brent ScottExecutive Director
Vote By Mail America
