Republican-controlled state governments are demanding proof of citizenship in order to vote. But how many of us really have rock-solid proof of citizenship?
Supposedly a state-issued photo-ID will suffice, but some of these states refuse to recognize college photo-IDs. But what kind of proof of citizenship is a photo-ID like a driver's license? My Minnesota driver's license has no indication of citizenship. My old Swedish driver's license did indirectly show that I was not a Swedish citizen. My person-nummer had a digit that showed I was a foreigner.
I did have a passport but I let it lapse because I wasn't interested in flying anymore. I do have a passcard for travel to Canada, but I may let that lapse.
Supposedly a birth certificate is sufficient to show citizenship. Mine is now so tattered that it is bordering on unreadable. How do I get a birth certificate? I write to the jurisdiction where I was born. A check and the name on the birth certificate will get my a new copy in a few weeks. But how does that jurisdiction even know I'm the person who is described on the birth certificate? There is no picture on a birth certificate and even if there were, it would take some very detailed knowledge of human development to positively match the new-born with the adult.
I think "proof of citizenship" boils down to "are you going to vote for us?"
Having seized control of many governments because too many people didn't show up in recent elections, the Republicans are afraid of being voted out of office. To do so, they are doing their damnedst to ensure that those who have any hint of opposing them have a hard time voting.
It happened in the South, and now that the South has taken over the Republican Party, they are busy thinking up schemes to be sure they stay in power everywhere else.
I'm sure many of my regular readers are tiring of my harping on this, but I wish they would join the chorus. The best campaign finance reform is for all of us who don't like negative ads and other tricks to show up for each and every election. Big money has lost big in some campaigns. Negative ads have given a negative result to those losing advertisers.
Show up! Show them your ID! Show them who is boss!
