Why are people so crazy over basic things? NAACP President Benjamin Jealous is upset because states are trying to enforce a rule requiring voters to have an id to vote. He says this will disenfranchise minority voters. I hate when people say things like that. It desensitizes people to REAL issues when they do occur. THIS, however, is NOT a real issue. Lets think about some of the things we need an id for.

  • Creating a bank account
  • Cashing a check (either at a bank or at a check cashing establishment)
  • Driving legally
  • Flying on any airline
  • Getting a health club membership

Why should voting be any different? The law doesn’t say that people need a driver’s license. It says that people need a state issued id. An identification card, which every state offers, is a state issued id that people can use to vote even if they don’t drive. I’m not sure who would be unable to vote in Benjamin Jealous’ world, but I think he is over-thinking something that is common. When people rail against basic things, they create issues where there are none. Requiring id for voting means better accuracy in vote counts. In states where id is not required, people could possibly vote two, three or four times. How can you ever make sure that there are accurate counts in a system like that?

I think NAACP President Benjamin Jealous is far off the mark here. Identification is a good thing. If people have issues with getting a government issued id, then they don’t need to vote. Period! Voting is a right for citizens of this country and it is a right that needs to be protected. Using identification doesn’t stop us from having that right. It just means that we need an id to exercise it! There is nothing wrong with that!

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