but not to vote?
WASHINGTON (AP) — The Justice Department's civil rights division on Monday objected to a new photo ID requirement for voters in Texas because many Hispanic voters lack state-issued identification.
Texas follows South Carolina as the second state in recent months to become embroiled in a court battle with the Justice Department over new photo ID requirements for voters.
Photo ID laws have become a point of contention in the 2012 elections. Liberal groups have said the requirements are the product of Republican-controlled state governments and are aimed at disenfranchising people who tend to vote Democratic — African-Americans, Hispanics, people of low-income and college students.
I can see a case for not putting unnecessary burdens in the way of exercising a fundamental right. But as this
law review article points out, the Supreme Court has given inconsistent answers as to whether voting is a fundamental right. If citizenship is a requirement for voting (as it currently is), then why should voting be subject to a less burdensome requirement than buying a gun?
Government burdens the exercise of things that can make our situation better. Government eases the exercise of things that will make our situation worse.
ReplyDeleteI'm waiting for a challenge to various gun regulations based on the holdings regarding impermissible burdens on fundamental rights as explicated in Roe v Wade and Planned Parenthood v Casey. After all, if a right derived from emanations of penumbras of the 4th amendment is protected from certain government interference, shouldn't a right explicitly mentioned, which *also* implicates the right to privacy, have the same protection?
ReplyDeleteI would expect the court to hold that it is impermissible to disallow minors from purchasing firearms, or even to require that the parents of a minor be informed of the minor's purchase, or requiring a waiting period or background check, or to require registration of firearms or ammunition purchases.
Let's see if the opposition to showing ID at the poll passes the common sense test...One needs photo ID to: Drive, open a bank account, get a loan, to get insurance, purchase certain over the counter meds, buy liquor and beer, buy cigarettes, use a debit card or credit card, to get a passport, to fly on a plane even in the US, rent an apartment, write a check, to get a job, apply for social security or other so-called entitlements,get a hotel room, to get into movies with certain ratings, apply for concealed carry, buy a gun and lots of other items, apply for CDLs, apply for fishing and hunting permits, pesticide applicater permits for farmers, to get a PO box at the USPS, to adopt a pet, to get married, and likely hundred of other things I can't think of...So, no, the oppsition has no basis for their rejection of voter ID laws that help to protect the most fundamental of American rights: The right to a free election unencumbered by fraud of any percentage. You are losing, marxists. Move to France while you still can.
ReplyDelete