Opinion
Ruling ensures prevention of electoral fraud from illegal immigrants
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Also by Sara Mikolajczak:
- A wake up call to UW conservatives (September 26, 2008)
- American tragedy lives with us (September 12, 2008)
- Resist liberal indoctrination on campus (August 6, 2008)
- Ruling ensures prevention of electoral fraud from illegal immigrants (May 1, 2008)
- Leave alcohol age to states (April 17, 2008)
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This will probably never happen again, but here in Badgerland, I would like to commend the Hoosiers. While we clearly beat them in all things Big Ten, Indiana has very few things that Wisconsin doesn’t. Legislation requiring a photo ID to vote is one of the things that our great state is missing.
Voter ID is an excellent idea, already employed by numerous states in the U.S. Essentially, voter ID laws say that if you’re going to vote in the United States, you should be able to prove you are who you say you are. Really, what’s wrong with that? When I showed up to the polls to vote this past spring, the lady working the table asked me for my name and handed me my ballot. I have a feeling I could have said my name was Suchita Shah and cast a vote. With failsafe voter security like that, why wouldn’t someone try to vote more than once?
Voter ID has long been a splitting issue between liberals and conservatives, but it seems like those days are coming to an end. Justice John Paul Stevens, who wrote the decision, is widely known to be on the liberal side of the court, even though he was appointed by a Republican. In the majority opinion, Mr. Stevens said that there was not “any concrete evidence of the burden imposed on voters who now lack photo identification” and that the risk of voter fraud is real. According to the opinion, there is “no question about the legitimacy or importance of the state’s interest in counting only the votes of eligible voters.” Now that both liberals and conservatives are finally on the right side of the aisle — at least on one issue — maybe we can finally get something done.
Despite what your Democratic friends tell you, there is nothing unconstitutional about voter ID legislation, as proven by the Supreme Court’s decision just this week. Indiana’s law said in order to cast a vote in the state, one had to present a photo ID at the polls. In order to get this photo ID, each person needed to prove citizenship via government certified documentation, like a birth certificate or a passport. This shouldn’t be a big deal, seeing as every person properly born in the U.S. has a legitimate form of documentation necessary for his or her ID card. According to Indiana law, if you cannot afford the ID card necessary to vote, one would be provided for you, free of charge. That eradicates the “the government won’t let me vote because I’m poor” argument that often rears its ugly head.
The other argument I’ve heard against voter ID legislation is that it’s discriminatory in that certain people can’t get the cards. This point, I will concede. There are certain people who would not be able to obtain voter ID cards because of their citizenship status. Non-citizens (aka: illegal aliens) would not be able to get the ID cards and there is no problem, whatsoever, with that. The language of the U.S. Constitution reads, “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied…” Please note the use of the word citizen: all citizens may vote, not just anyone who happens to be in this country on an election day.
Living in the liberal cesspool that we do, I’m not surprised we don’t have a voter ID law — our “sanctuary city” where “no person is illegal” would never allow it — all at the risk of cheapening your vote. It is an honor and a privilege to be an American citizen. Part of that privilege is the right to vote. Voting is a right you earn with citizenship and get taken away with a felony. It does not belong to everyone. Voter ID would only increase security in our election booths and make sure that only those people who are supposed to be voting are doing so. Having a problem with voter ID is having a problem upholding the law.
Sara Mikolajczak (WisconsinCRs@gmail.com) is the chair of UW-Madison College Republicans.
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“I have a feeling I could have said my name was Suchita Shah and cast a vote.”
And just what the hell is that supposed to mean? If your name is Indian you should be subject to special scrutiny? There is a word for this type of discrimination, and its called racism.
And your bemoaning the existence of “illegal aliens” isn’t cute either, and certainly not lost on those who believe that everyone working in this country deserves representation.
Immigrant Rights Rally Library Mall 10:30
Sorry, the above was from me. Forgot to sign in. -Kyle
Oh, come on, Kyle. Do you really think Sara was being racist when she wrote that?
I’m sure it was no more than an attempt at humor/irony, to suggest that under current law, Sara could have pretended to be Vice Chair of the College Democrats and then cast votes for Republican candidates. Nothing more.
Kyle, you’ve gone off the deep end. Sara was referring to probably the best-known nonathlete on campus here at the UW.
Although I agree with the photo ID law, Sara misinterprets Justice Stevens’s logic. His opinion was that nobody was actually harmed by the voter ID law. If someone brought a case saying that requiring a voter ID was an undue burden, then he would be open to reconsidering the case.
Here you big govt conservatives go again. Who’s going to pay for all these new IDs for the poor and indigent? Keep your hands off my taxes, conservatives!!
Sara,
No matter what, this will not stop a democrat from being your commander in chief come January 2009. Accept this.
Kyle has gone off the deep end. Crazy. Clearly, she was just being ironic. She probably could have made reference to Claire Rydell, but nobody knows (or cares) who that is (yet).
Interesting. Everyone claims Stevens to be part of the liberal wing of the Court. However, if you ask Stevens himself, he does not consider himself liberal and doesn’t call himself liberal.
Yes, the law protects against voting by illegal immigrants, but what about the citizens who also become unable to vote because of this law? That’s a serious problem that needs to be addressed.
Also, you’re getting a little vitriolic near the end there. Frustrated much?
Ahhh, how I love, and will eventually miss, the libaral/conservative mud-slinging and calling people racists for no reason besides being vindicative of someone whose ideals/world view he/she hoes not agree with.
Lol, you’d disenfranchise your fellow students just to keep immigrants from voting?
Real fucking smooth!
A most excellent article, Sara!
Keep speaking out on verified citizenship as a prerequisite to voting. Keep speaking out on the destructive consequences of complacency towards illegal immigration. Truth, honesty, integrity, and the rule of law will overcome the lies, miguided relativism,and criminality of illegal aliens and their apologists.
Invictus Maneo
“Keep your hands off my taxes, conservatives!!”
NO REPRESENTATION WITHOUT TAXATION!!!!
That the poor and indigent can vote for tax happy politicians when they pay no taxes is a real PITA.
Dear Sara, Did you not choose to attend this “liberal cesspool”? Go back to the North Woods where you can be surrounded by people whose minds are as remarkably small as yours.
Riddle me this, Sara:
You don’t think illegal aliens should live here.
Illegal aliens come here to work.
Companies hire illegal aliens.
There are laws that make hiring illegal aliens, well, illegal.
If we enforced these laws, there would be no work for illegal aliens.
Illegal aliens would stop coming.
Is my logic faulty, or is it a prerequisite that the chair of College Republicans needs to toe the party line and not use their own brain?
Dear Ann Coulter:
I love this liberal cesspool. Suchita for president!
Love, 90% of campus.
Kyle reads a strange sounding (to Kyle) name and immediately starts rifling through the internet for the racial pedigree.
And who’s the racist?
Leftist bigotry on stilts!
“If we enforced these laws, there would be no work for illegal aliens.”
But there would be PLENTY of demonstrations and lawsuits.
REAL enforcement would require a REAL identification system, but then IDs that don’t now exist. IDs that can not be frauds in any way which employers could rely upon to determine if someone was a citizen or legal resident. Just getting the states to ensure that the IDs they issue are genuine is turning into a big snafu.
Thank you, Sara! Wonderful piece. Someone needs to check the commie-liberals that live here in Madison.
Sara, why are you constantly so hostile and bitchy in your columns? Make calm, rational arguments and we’re more likely to listen to you.
Here’s an idea though: Let’s have a national ID system free of charge to everybody, given to them on their 16th birthday. Updated at 18, 21, and every 5 years after that again, free of charge.
That would solve all of these problems.
@9:46,
so only the rich should vote? How 1786 of you. You spoiled rotten kid
Everyone is a liberal ‘till they pay taxes. A choice must be made!
Liberal cesspool rated as one of the better places to live in the US, Sara. You dont like it? Please leave. And keep your conservative big government hands off my hard eraned tax dollars
Excellent article Sarah! Keep up the good writing!
“Go back to the North Woods where you can be surrounded by people whose minds are as remarkably small as yours.”
The “North Woods” are statistically as Liberal as Madison and Milwaukee are because the people that live there are railroad workers and teachers — union people. Sara is very intelligent and she’s from southeastern Wisconsin. This is a great university; it’s politics are just out-of-sync with that.
ED
Look at all the money being spent on the “Get out the Vote” campaigns, if people are worried about the poor and homebound being unable to get an ID, why not use some ot the resources from the “Get out the Vote” campaign and redirect it to a “Get your Voter ID” campaign?
There are currently groups that pick up voters each election and give them rides to the polls so they can vote. Could this not be done with getting an ID as well? The ID’s are offered free to people who could not afford them, and who really in todays society can get by without a Photo ID of some sort.
The answer is the LIbErals don’t want photo ID because it would make commiting vote fraud more difficult. The “get out the vote” campaigns would no longer be effective means of packing the voter registration rolls with phony names so fraudlent votes can be cast.
They argue that people might be disenfranchised if forced to show an id, but don’t seem to care that with every fraudulent vote that a legitimate voter in the state has their vote negated by each fraudulent vote cast. They ARE actually being disenfranchised, there is no hypothetical there.
The real issue is this:
* The liberals want to keep vote fraud as a tool that they can use to help elect their candidates and promote their adgenda.
We’re all innocent until proven otherwise, why shouldn’t we be considered citizens until proven otherwise? Real ID places the burden on every single American to prove their citizenship. What’s next, checkpoints and random ID checks? Go back to Italy if you want to live in a fascist state.
This is not a liberal vs. conservative issue here. Everyone will agree we have a major problem with illegal immigrants. Couple that with dishonest employers and the inherent trait that illegals are dishonest themselves, and you have a NEED for proof of ID for things as basic as voting. Either you hope everyone becomes more honest (not going to happen), or you do something to uphold what is required to vote.
The only reason many politicians are dragging their feet on this sort of issue is that a large part of their voting base comes from illegals (yes I’m taking a shot at the liberals for the most part). Those kinds of people are the scum of the earth. What ever happened to acting on principle and morality, and not for personal or political gain?
“The liberals want to keep vote fraud as a tool that they can use to help elect their candidates and promote their adgenda.”
Please cite for me the vast voter fraud conspiracy you speak of. Oh yeah, it doesn’t exist, and there’s never been any proof it! I forgot.
“so only the rich should vote? How 1786 of you.”
I guess the USA has passed its sell by date.
A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. …
Sarah, do you have to wear a helmet when you write these articles? Do yourself, the UWCR, and McCain a favor and resign immediately.
“We’re all innocent until proven otherwise”
Maybe so, but the cops can arrest you any time they like.
Mouth off and it’ll be a taste of the taser too!
ps. checkpoints are already common, for drugs and drunks you know.
“The liberals want to keep vote fraud as a tool that they can use to help elect their candidates and promote their adgenda.”
Please cite for me the vast voter fraud conspiracy you speak of. Oh yeah, it doesn’t exist, and there’s never been any proof it! I forgot.
You may want to check out: http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/duke/050819
or maybe this one: http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=58519