Saturday, September 08, 2012

Photo ID's: What's the BIG DEAL?

It seems that every four years the democrats get all steamed up over showing a picture I.D. like its some new thing.  Citizens of the United States have been asked to show an I.D. and picture I.D.'s since I can remember.  Here are some instances where I have personally been asked for an I.D.

When I applied for my social security card

When I went to get my first drivers license at age 16

Going back and forth across the Mexican border I have had to show a picture I.D. Preferably my drivers license

The last time I renewed my drivers license I had to show 5 (FIVE) forms of I.D. with at least one of them being a picture I.D., and my drivers license couldn't be used as one of the five. Now, that time I sweated a little, but luckily for me I had an old college picture ID, a military dependent picture ID, birth certificate, baptismal certificate, marriage license and credit cards.

When I get stopped at a road block the nice Policeman asks for my drivers license

When I go for tests or procedures at a hospital they ask for a photo I.D.

When I show up to vote everyone is standing in line with their photo I.D.'s in hand waiting to show them to the person who has the big book that we have to sign.

When I have a doctors appointment they ask to see my drivers license or a photo I.D.

When I get pulled over by a police officer because I'm out at 2 a.m. and they just want to know what I'm doing out that late, they ask for my drivers license.

When I go to my bank, write a check and withdraw my own money, they ask for a photo ID

When I present my Debit or Credit Card at a motel, they ask to see my drivers license.

I don't do these, but:

When you buy tobacco they ask for your drivers license or a photo ID

When you buy liquor they ask for a photo ID (if you're lucky :)

When you go to a Club that serves alcohol they ask to see your photo ID

So, what's the big deal about showing a photo ID?   They required everyone entering the Democratic National Convention to show a photo ID, so if they had to do it just to hear speeches and watch entertainment, what's the big deal about showing a photo ID to prove who you are to vote?  It seems that we have to show photo ID's for everything else that we do, so why not to cast a vote?

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

Hi Sandy,
I have never shown a picture ID when I have voted. They found my name on the registered voter list and I signed next to it. If it is to be a requirement now, one should be taken and issued when you register to vote. Although, I don't know what they would do for the mail-in ballots.

Unfortunately, what some states are requiring is a government issued ID, not just any picture ID. If you are not a member of the military or you don't drive a car, you will not have an acceptable one and you will not be allowed to vote, which is disenfranchising some American citizens more than others.

In this current election, that seems to involve more of the poor and minority voters, who have traditionally been Democratic supporters. If Democrats cannot vote, it will effect the outcome of the election, which seems unfair to some of us and that is why Democrats are upset with this action.

It is also a non-issue. In the past ten years the actual count for voter fraud was .000014% of votes taken. That hardly seems enough to take away the right to vote from American citizens.

If Republicans want to win this election by disenfranchising some of America's citizens and by ending the power of unions-another traditionally Democrat party supporter-to fund political canditates that says a great deal about the party and their views on democracy. Is it really win by any means possible? What kind of country do we want to live in?

Diane

Cheyenne said...

As much as I would love to debate the person who wrote the above comment, I will not. There are a lot of flaws in what was written.

Sandy Hatcher-Wallace said...

Diane, You can get a free photo ID at the drivers licensing office and have always been able to get one there and you don't need to have a drivers license to get one. Apparently California doesn't require that you show an ID when you vote, but not all states are the same.

If a new voter registration ID is required, then I'm sure that our states should get all of us one by the election of 2016.

We are not trying to keep any United States citizen from voting. Only trying to keep those not eligible from voting to vote and those unscrupulous voters who try to vote twice.

Vote buying is a problem and the poor sell their votes for a bottle of wine up to $500, and maybe more, in some elections here in the South, and I really don't know how they can curb that but to catch them in the act and have them arrested.

Apparently voting must not be a problem in California where you live, but if you just walk up to a book and find your name, what keeps people from finding someone else's name and voting under it without a proper ID? It's just a matter of looking over the shoulder of the person in front of you to see who hasn't signed the book, right? Or going to the polls to vote in Aunt Martha's place because she's in a nursing home and mentally not able to vote.

I guess there is no Identity Theft in this country either.....

Oh, by the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY DIANE! I don't want to argue with you and I do value your opinions and differences because if we all thought the same way this country would sure be a boring place to live in. Take care, Love you.