Comments on: Voting Rights Act of 1965

By: Chief RZ

Chief RZ — Mon, 03 Apr 2006 20:50:30 +0000

This must end. We went for over three years without a representative for our area in the county while the “Civil rights lawyers” debated this or that plan. The 50s are over!

By: Rhymes With Right

Rhymes With Right — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:20:35 +0000

Voting Rights Don’t Expire In 2007 — Or Ever

My latest troll, howard, seems to have fallen into the same trap that too many folks have fallen victim to over the years regarding the Voting Rights Act. And by the way, have you explained to your students why part…

By: Rhymes With Right

Rhymes With Right — Sun, 02 Apr 2006 14:13:54 +0000

I wrote a piece on this very issue back in december, after one of my then-active trolls raised the issue. I’ve been dealing with it every term in my night class for eight years, because someone always is telling me in class that “I got an email that said…” or “My pastor told us this past Sunday that…” or “My homegirl/mama/cousin/boyfriend/neighborhood crack-dealer says that…” and insisting that it is Gospel truth.

Glad to see someone else dealing with it.

By: scott

scott — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 23:51:38 +0000

LaShawn-

Theyâ€™re comparing the Georgia law requiring voters to show state-issued identification before voting to disenfranchisement tactics.

I was a “first-time” poll worker for the 2004 Pres. election here in Columbus, OH.(I’m officially registered as an “independent”-the only Repub I ever voted for President was Reagan in 84- – but I worked as a “Republican” because they were the first to call me.)

A poll-worker is only allowed to ask the voter for ‘name and address’… yet I would guess that about 2/3 of the voters I “checked in” against the registry voluntarily offered an “official” ID(driver’s liscense, State ID, and/or their voter/precinct notification card) before I ever said a word!—and this was a precinct that voted for Kerry over Bush at about 60-40.

By: RedBeard

RedBeard — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 19:02:03 +0000

If we’re gonna disenfranchise a hypenated group, let’s keep Irish-Americans from voting. They’ve been a pain ever since they got here.

By: James

James — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 08:40:26 +0000

In Washington convicted felons have their civil rights (including voting but excluding firearms) restored after they have successfully completed parole. But I think if one was to max out their sentence they would have to petion the state for those rights back. It seems to be a logical system to me. I agree with the many posters concerning voting by prisoners and illegal aliens but I would also add those on active parole into that same category. I think that evry person should show valid ID when voting. The thing that worries me about Washington is the huge amount of absentee ballotting. I can understand if there is no way you can get to a polling places but in many places in Washington you are automatically an absentee voter. A couple of examples I lived in South Everett for a few years and I was automatically an absentee voter which is strange when you consider I was about 5 blocks from the local polling place. I think that automatic absentee voting leaves the door open for massive fraud.

By: The Scrutinator

The Scrutinator — Sat, 01 Apr 2006 07:12:01 +0000

One voter ID scenario I worry about: what about the mis-guided hacktivist high school student (perhaps under a teacher's influence) who steals his parents' voter ID cards--just for election day. A non-voter (minor) has now commandeered two votes. That's bad.

By: Antonio

Antonio — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:37:03 +0000

The Republican controlled Georgia legislature enacted the Voter ID law to allegedly curb voter fraud. Notably, there was no evidence of voter fraud in Georgia, except fraud associated with absentee ballots. Georgia’s Voter ID law does not make it tougher for absentee voters, only for those who vote on election day. For the record, before the enactment of the new law, Georgia required one of 17 approved forms of ID before anyone could vote.

By: TexasFred

TexasFred — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 21:35:59 +0000

I have to agree with La shawn on the ‘chance to try to be a good citizen again’ thing…

I have a friend that did 5 years in prison for burglary, got out, went to work and never looked back, he was 17 when he went to prison and now he’s 48 and a very successful businessman, he’s a Conservative Republican, he votes in his home state, which granted him that ‘right’ back, and IMO, he deserves it, he’s never had so much as a traffic ticket in the last 26 years and I feel he paid for his ‘youthful indescretion’…

Now, should ever revert to his ‘past life’, I feel that he should lose ALL rights to voting, as well as a few other ‘rights’, but why should ANY man or woman that’s paid their dues for making their mistake be denied the right to vote??

Also, in the same vein, gun ownership is also denied… And on that one I am still undecided, IMO, if their crime involved the use of a gun, yeah, that right needs to be gone, but what if it didn’t involve a gun?? That is an entirely different topic of discussion I am guessing…

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:20:50 +0000

I followed the link to VDare, and really liked what I read-if Mexico has a better voter registration than we do, we should follow their example.
I posted yesterday about illegal immigration and pointed back here to Renee having made the clear comment about what it is: coveting. And I was lightly charged with racism by a friend who said, “But why is the debate always about the Others Who Invade Our Country, (who, it has to be said, don’t look Like Us) and not the people who make it worth their while to come?”
-as if my opposition to illegal immigrants was because of their ‘race’and not their actions.
Anyone playing a ‘race card’ is no longer playing with a full deck. I dread the political season coming up-the crop of lies and political disinformation which have been growing for 2 years will be harvested in November. The protesting thousands of Latinos/others in the past week, the referendums to censure the President cropping up in dozens of tiny liberal municipalities, the anti-War efforts of the farthest left–all of this will be bundled together as evidence that the Republican admin has lost it’s way, and the only vision for the future belongs to the Democrats.
Baloney. Don’t focus on the spinning watch they try to hypnotize you with-watch for the tricks. No one can incite your emotions for his political agenda if your mind remains clear.

By: Area417

Area417 — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 19:07:30 +0000

La Shawn BarberWeighs In On Voter ID Requirements

Count on LaShawn to offer a level-headed, well-considered opinion:…requiring picture identification to vote is a reasonable requirement designed to curb voter fraud (votes by illegal aliens and dead people, for example) and shouldnâ€™t be ignorantly …

By: Tom Bosee

Tom Bosee — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 18:43:31 +0000

I have met people who proclaim proudly that they “don’t vote, what difference does it make anyway?” Now what do we do with these folks; change their minds, or agree with them?

By: Swap Blog

Swap Blog — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:49:54 +0000

LaShawn Barber has a post that discusses both the history of voting rights, specifically those of African Americans, and how the current push for photo or state ID as a requirement to vote is not comparable to the high poll taxes, grandfather clauses, etc of the past. LaShawn also points out how many stories have hinted or inferred that the ID requirement is a attempt to revoke the voting privileges of some and return to the practices of the past. That inference is simply not true.

By: Ian MacD.

Ian MacD. — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:42:09 +0000

Here in Texas you have to show a valid ID to vote. Only makes sense to me. How else can they be sure you are who you say you are?

By: Frank Zavisca

Frank Zavisca — Fri, 31 Mar 2006 17:31:49 +0000

Ralph:

Yes, in N LA it is the same. Everyone has to show a photo ID.