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Voter ID bill a setback for civil rights, say opponents Lauren Moyer March 15, 2012

Summary: In states like Texas, South Carolina and recently Pennsylvania, a law that requires voters to show identification at the polls has been signed by Governor Tom Corbett Wednesday. The law has gotten a lot of attention recently and has already been protested. Many citizens aren’t very enthusiastic about this change to say the least. Groups like the Association of Colored People and others are saying that by signing the law its like “turning back the hands of time and violating civil rights”. It’s also been said “this law attacks seniors, the disabled, the poor the students and the minorities”. Officials are extremely concerned that those without I.D’s won’t show up at the polls which brings up a civil rights question and the lack of participation will just hurt our country overall. Many are asking what’s the hurry to pass the bill? Why is it so important to have this law in effect for this November? Officials in Harrisburg say that the law will avoid the fraud ACORN in some states, like Pennsylvania. ACORN was a group that registered people before the election even happened and also was able to register deceased people. While the law has ended up in court because of the NAACP, the people will not be happy until it is abolished and their civil rights are reinstated.

Relevance: Everyone in America is affected in one way or another by our government and luckily for us, we get somewhat of a say about what goes on in our nation by voting. In 1790 white men were able to vote, followed by 1870 when slaves were able to contribute their opinions, then finally in 1920 it was the women’s turn to gain the right. For many, many years everyone was able to vote but now we are reversing history and the right could be taken away because of the lack of an I.D. Taking that simple right away for thousands of people could make the difference between a win and a loss for the Republican and Democratic parties. In the past, the Voting Rights Act of 1965 didn’t allow discriminatory voting practices. Although this act was focused around race, the same idea can be applied to this law. This new policy discriminates against people with a low socioeconomic status who lack the ability to have an I.D for a variety of reasons. While the 15th amendment and the Voting Rights Act made everyone able to vote, we are undoing the legislatures work. People, now more than ever, are very protective over their civil rights. To place barriers that prevent voters the simple right to place their ballots is to question the mentality of a true democracy. For anyone’s voice to not be heard because of the lack of an I.D is not what America is all about nor has it ever been.

Evaluation: In this article a lot of questions came to mind regarding the governments policies. Is it right for the government to be able to control the polls with an I.D? Is there a hidden motive to discriminate against those of a lower social status who may not have the means to have an I.D? The republican party seems to be very concerned in passing this law quickly; is it so the democratic people who come from the lower social statues can’t have a say come this November? While others and myself share these questions based on the viewpoint of the article, I would like to see more of the politician’s perspective on the issue. Are they ok with taking away an American’s equal right? Hundreds of groups and individuals worked hard to gain these rights and while the government today is not taking away the right to vote from minorities and women they are making the right to vote a challenge for thousands of people nationwide. Politicians are not only angering people with there “unnecessary” changes so close to voting day, but also taking away civil rights that have been in place for a very long time.

Questions:
 * 1) What will be the consequences we face if we don’t have a strong turn out of voters?
 * 2) If people without I.D’s don’t have the right to vote will they lose interest in the government and our success in Washington?
 * 3) Will other states agree with this law and sign it as we have?
 * 4) Will the government be able to provide an easier way to access an I.D so everyone can vote and no civil rights are being ignored?
 * 5) If the law sits in court for a long time will it still be able to be applied in November for the states that signed in agreement to it?

Sources: "Voter ID bill a setback for civil rights, say opponents - Local News - Delaware Valley, PA/NJ - msnbc.com." msnbc.com - Breaking news, science and tech news, world news, US news, local news- msnbc.com. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. .

“Voter ID laws - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. .

"Voting - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. .

"Voting Rights Act - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia." Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Web. 15 Mar. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Voting_Ri