Voting Integrity
Show Me Your Photo ID
By Daniel Muniz

Suppose I were to step inside a convenience store to buy a 24 pack of beer and I am then asked to show some identification. Is the clerk behind the counter a racist because he or she will only sell me alcohol if and only if I have a valid photo ID? After all I am Hispanic so is there some sort of conspiracy involved?

What if I wanted to step inside a nightclub but the bouncer at the entrance demanded that I show him ID or suppose I wanted to cash a check at a bank but the bank teller also wanted to see some identification. Is the world full of bigots because bouncers and bank tellers insist that I fork over some sort of picture ID?

How about airports? Is my local airport administered by the KKK because they want to see some identification?

And suppose while I am driving my car and I get pulled over by the police and I am asked to show my driver’s license. Should I assume that law enforcement is staffed solely by racist cops because they want my ID?

Each one of those scenarios is nothing more than silly nonsense because I know that presenting identification is often a requirement numerous transactions especially when it involves money or something that you have to be over 18 or 21 to get. In fact, it is difficult to get very much done in our modern society without having a photo ID because so many places need to know exactly who you are before they can exchange certain goods and services with you. It is just a simple fact of life particularly when it helps to ensure your personal security as well as everyone else’s.

Even though I am a Hispanic, I do not make the connection that when someone asks for my identification, that he or she has to be a racist. I fully understand that the people or organizations that want me to prove who I am, are doing it because it is either their job or it is the law that they have to follow. Consequently, you don’t see any massive demonstrations on the streets because minorities were asked for their ID for any of the above situations.

Overall, minorities don’t have a problem with it because that is the way that business is done.
 

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And most importantly, we as a society not only expect that employees should do their job and follow the law or their company policy, we demand it. For instance, we don’t want convenience stores selling cigarettes and alcohol to minors. The same goes for banks and airports and lots of other industries when it comes to identifying people.

But the moment that valid identification is required for voting, Liberals start screaming racism.

Unfortunately, Democrats have practically hijacked the issue by calling it racist, segregation, discrimination, poll tax, Jim Crow, xenophobic, or voter suppression. And those are just the words I can print.

So what is the point that Liberals are trying to get across?

First of all, it is ludicrous for the Left Wing to assert that racism is involved because requiring a valid picture ID is already the norm for financial transactions, purchasing alcohol, cigarettes, and firearms as well as for other public venues. In general, people don’t question presenting identification for so many things in everyday life. And Democrats know full well that they would become a laughingstock in politics if they tried to make the same racial connection to everything else that requires a photo ID (like buying beer and wine).

However, it is a totally different story when it comes to voting because the Liberals know that they can use it as a weapon to demonize Republicans. And the media also loves this kind of conflict because they want to be able to depict extremes (also known as sensationalism) in the news, like courageous Democrats protecting minorities while battling racist Republicans. That makes for some good headlines and juicy stories even though such coverage is completely devoid of facts, context, and perspective.

The press doesn’t care about voter fraud or fair and free elections if they can get a sensational story out of it instead. But fraud is still a serious problem because it is so easy to cast a bogus ballot since identification is not needed. In fact, the bipartisan Commission on Federal Election Reform, which was run by former president Jimmy Carter and former Secretary of State James Baker III, stated in their final report:

"Effective voter registration and voter identification are bedrocks of a modern election system."

Democrats know that voting fraud is a big problem but that doesn’t stop them from being racial arsonists if it means that they can score some political points out of it.

But overall, it is sad to think that our own election system does not have the same kind of simple safeguards that are already in place for alcohol and cigarettes and for cashing checks. Somehow, maintaining free and fair elections does not have the same priority as selling beer has.

In my hometown of San Antonio Texas, there are vile people known simply as coyotes although different cities call them other things. They are the ones who create bogus voter registration cards for the purpose of fraudulent voting. The favorite target of the coyotes is usually the elderly. They knock on doors and hound Senior Citizens for their personal information. In the end, their identities are used to cast illegal ballots.

The easiest way to thwart the coyotes is to require a picture ID for voting. Such a simple rule will stop most of them in their tracks.

And for the people who don’t have a government issued photo ID, then they need to get one. It is as easy as that. You don’t see people screaming over it for buying beer or cashing a check. And state governments will have to help out such people to minimize the impact of the racial arsonists who are eager to create more racial tension and strife but the additional expense will definitely be worth it in the effort to stop voter fraud.

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