I have a simple question for the media:
The hand-wringing and protestations about states forcing or attempting to force people to show photo ID before voting continues. It is loudest and most persistent from Al Sharpton on MSNBC, but it is widespread. And the president’s Justice Department is threatening, bullying and, in some cases, litigating against states over this matter.
The main argument from opponents of the photo ID is that such a requirement disenfranchises old people and poor people who mysteriously exist with no photo identification (with which to board an airplane, cash a check, get a prescription filled, etc.).
This week, the federal government – the same one that Justice Department represents – announced that beginning next year, it will no longer issue paper checks paying out any federal benefits, including but not limited to Social Security. All such entitlement and benefit payments will be electronically deposited to recipients’ bank accounts, thus, obviously, mandating every recipient have a bank account (a service that must be purchased from a private business, incidentally).
Presumably, now, the old folks and poor people without photo IDs are getting these checks, endorsing them to a family member or friend with a bank account who then pays bills for the recipient and/or gives him or her cash. But next year, there will be no checks. To get benefits, every recipient who does not now have a bank account must go open one.
It is reasonable to assume that all the old people and poor people supposedly blocked from voting by the requirement of a photo ID are receiving at least one or several government checks.
So, here’s that simple question, for Rev. Al, his media brethren hollering about voter disenfranchisement, and for Obama’s Justice Department:
How can these people open bank accounts without photo ID?
I certainly can’t. Just to verify I couldn’t, I tested it yesterday.
Oh, and a companion question: If they can manage to get to a bank to open an account, why can’t they get to a place to get a photo ID?
If people must have photo ID’s to open bank accounts so as to collect their government benefits as well as to cash checks, get prescriptions filled, get a mammogram – my wife had to produce photo I.D. for that, get treatment at an emergency room – I just had to do that – check into a hotel, board a plane, etc., why is it unreasonable to ask that they have it to vote?
The only answer to why anyone might object to such requirements is: they want vote fraud easily possible. That’s what this Justice Department is up to. That’s what those of Rev. Al’s ilk want. I dare them to make any sane argument otherwise.