Are Voter ID Laws Racist?

Interesting question? Maybe. Maybe not. Depends on your political affiliation, I suppose. The Left (Democrats, Liberals, Mainstream Media, Social Media) routinely say YES! They don’t even ask it as a question actually. Mostly, they just proclaim it as if it were ridiculous to dispute it. Sometimes they couch the issue in other language - Voter Suppression, Jim Crow 2.0, etc., but usually, they just come right out and say it – Racist. (Of course, they say that about everything these days.)

To be sure, there are other specific voting issues – drop boxes, ballot harvesting, mail-in ballots, just to name a few, but make no mistake, the biggest target is always Voter ID, and honestly, I don’t get it. Why isn’t every single African-American citizen offended and insulted by the very overt suggestion that he or she is somehow not smart enough to have (or be able to obtain) a photo ID? Or use the internet or locate the DMV? Why is every single citizen who lives in a rural community not offended and insulted by the idea that he or she is too dumb to be able to locate a copy machine? (https://www.newsweek.com/kamala-harris-slammed-insulting-claim-rural-communities-cant-photocopy-ids-1608603) Yes, the Democrat Party thinks you’re stupid. Or at least that’s the argument they use to fight the passage of any voting laws that they believe will interfere with their agenda.

Now, let’s be honest. Using the COVID Pandemic as an excuse, many states in the 2020 elections adopted “new” voting practices that had never been allowed before. And honestly, if someone really believed (like the Left with the help of the MSM wanted you to believe) that going out to vote would endanger his health or his life, then some of these changes made sense, but in the long term, they aren’t necessary. Sadly, any efforts by the Right to get rid of these “new” practices are now being attacked by the Left as Racist.

Here are my thoughts. Are voter ID laws racist? No. Do they suppress the vote? Probably, but not for minority voters (which would be racist), but for other voters, and in my opinion, that’s a good thing. Hear me out.

Voting is one of the most important rights we have as citizens of this country. Because it is so important, it should never be taken lightly. Incredible responsibility goes with that right. Do the laws being passed in many states make it more difficult to vote? Sure, but who says exercising such an important right should be easy?

I could make the same argument for other basic human rights. Abortion? It’s legal (although many on the Conservative side, including myself, do not believe it should be), but even if one considers it a right, it shouldn’t be as easy as strolling into your neighborhood Planned Parenthood clinic and walking out as if it were just another daily chore. Maybe it should be harder than that. Maybe some restrictions that slow down the process and make it more difficult should be in place. Some decisions should not be made lightly or without appropriate time and consideration.

What about guns? I believe Americans have a right (2^nd Amendment) to own guns. Does that mean it should it be easy to go out and buy weapons and ammo? Probably not. I have no problem with “reasonable” restrictions on gun purchases, such as basic background checks or waiting periods. Again, if the process is a little slower and requires more thought and effort, I’m okay with that.

Back to voting. I believe strongly that every American citizen has the right to vote. (Adults, anyway. And non-felons.) I don’t necessarily believe that every American citizen should vote. Again, responsibility. If voters have no idea what a candidate believes, then maybe they should not participate in placing that person into a position of power and authority. Maybe just voting for the candidate someone likes is not the best thing. Maybe voting should require at least the minimum amount of time and energy to go stand in line and fill out a ballot. Maybe mail-in ballots should only be used by people with a legitimate reason. Perhaps voting shouldn’t be as easy as sitting at home and waiting for some campaign worker to come to your door and tell you where to sign. Maybe voting is important enough that it should be a little difficult. At least difficult enough to discourage the people who treat it like a popularity contest and refuse to consider the consequences of putting the wrong people in power.

Anyway, that’s what I believe. Let me know what you think and have a great week.