Drive By Voting
On July 29 the 4th circuit appeals court of North Carolina struck down a law passed in 2013 by the legislature of that state designed to reduce the incidence of voter fraud. The court, comprised of one Clinton and two Obama protégés, opined that the law was discriminatory in intent. There are numerous similar challenges to such laws in process across the land. The inescapable implication of these challenges being that the extra effort required by restrictive laws would preferentially reduce the black vote, thereby resulting in “disenfranchisement.” Now if that isn’t a racist sentiment, I don’t know what is. In so many words, it says that if the voter registration process is too time consuming, inconvenient or difficult, more black citizens than white citizens will stay home choosing instead to have a cool beverage in front of their wide screens rather than vote. Kind of insulting, isn’t it?
Now, differential participation effects aside, I want to raise a more fundamental question here: Shouldn’t it be at least a LITTLE difficult to exercise one’s privilege and duty to vote? Shouldn’t we respect the process enough to readily accept the responsibility of proving our own identity, our own citizenship, and our own eligibility? Shouldn’t we have enough PRIDE in the process to expect, no demand, that others do the same? Should choosing the leader of our nation be a spur of the moment gesture? Should it be easy? Should it be very easy? Should it be carried out in fast food restaurants? Casinos? Gas stations? Bars?? Or should it be a planned and reasoned acceptance of the gravely important responsibility of running our nation as fairly and competently as we can?
Now, I’m not saying we should enact draconian measures such as a land ownership requirement (which is what some of the framers of our constitution may have had in mind). But to insist upon clear cut proof of identity, citizenship and eligibility is something EVERY voter should support and expect, if for no other reason than to insure that his or her vote won’t be “watered down” by a fraudulent process. It’s a matter of respect. For our nation. For our electoral process. For ourselves. If we truly love our country we WILL make the extra effort it takes to insure the legitimacy of electoral process.