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Tuesday, February 3, 2015

Voter Identification Implications

February 3, 2015

Voter Identification Implications

"He just cheated!" We've all heard those words before. Almost everyone has played a game or had a job in which one person consistently lied or cheated. We even hear about drug scandals in sports, lying politicians, the immoral pop culture, and shady dealings in the private sector. It would be safe to conclude that it is a part of human nature for one to be dishonest. So, why does this frustration not occur when an individual, regardless of citizenship, race, political party, or opinion, votes fraudulently? Games have rules. At work there may be a dress code or set of ethical requirements for the employees. But why is voting an exemption to the rule? There are laws, in many states, that are established to safeguard the electoral system against individuals who are always in rebellion against laws and ethical standards. This is why standards are a necessary part of government: without law, society disintegrates into anarchy and tyranny. Despite claims of discrimination and disenfranchisement of minorities, voter ID laws actually defend the impartiality of our electoral system.

Some people may not be aware of voter identification requirements. They are laws which try to prevent voter fraud by having a voter present valid, government-issued ID before voting. There are two primary ways in which one can classify voter identification laws. One way is to sort them according to their strictness. Another way is to sort them according to whether or not they require a photo identification and what forms of identification are valid. These classification systems can and do overlap. A law can exist for which one must show a photo ID, or which asks to see a voter ID. These are called "strict photo" or "non-strict photo" requirement, respectively. Also, there can be a law that requires an ID, not necessarily photo. It is imperative that one know the differences among the laws.

A "strict" Voter ID law is one for which every voter must show a given acceptable form of ID before voting on a regular ballot. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures' Wendy Underhill, in her article “Voter Identification Requirements”:
                Voters without acceptable identification must vote on a provisional ballot and also take additional steps after Election Day for [the vote] to be counted.  For instance, the voter may be required to return to an election office within a few days after the election and present an acceptable ID to have the provisional ballot counted. If the voter does not come back to show ID, the provisional ballot is not counted.
Therefore, under a strict ID law, if you do not have the valid identification, you can still vote; however, you still have to prove your identity. For example, in the state of Indiana, the deadline for confirming your identity at the election board office is at noon on the Monday after the election (Lee). Here again, the ID can be a photo or non-photo identification.

Non-strict laws ask voters for a form of identification but do not necessarily require them. A voter without the proper form of identification may or may not be given a regular ballot. If he still must vote using the provisional ballot, he may be required to sign an affidavit (a signed legal document verified by a judge or magistrate), or get a poll worker to certify his identity by vouching for him (Lee). Mostly, states that have non-strict ID laws do not require voters to verify their identities at all.

The other way to group the variety of existing laws is according to the type of identification required. So, the states whose valid forms of ID are only photo are called "photo" states, while the states whose forms of ID are not necessarily photo are called "non-photo" states. And, of course, the strictness of the law always depends on the other classification system.

Obviously, the rest of the states do not require any form of voter identification. Thirty-four states have legislation that requires or asks voters to show an ID when they vote. Among these, Indiana, Georgia, Tennessee, Kansas, and Pennsylvania are the least lenient in their legislation. They are the “strict-photo” requiring states. The others either are “non-strict” states or require some form of identification other than a photo ID. Most of the non-strict ID states ask for some form of valid identification, usually government-issued, before a person votes. In some states a valid form of identification could be a military ID, called a Common Access Card (CAC), a student's college ID, a work facility pass, or a gun ownership license. Also, if a person cannot afford to obtain the documents necessary to procure a valid form of identification, he can get one free from the local DMV or courthouse.

Some states have exemptions to showing a form of photo identification. For example, some exceptions are "indigency or religious objections to being photographed," says Suevon Lee in “Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Voter ID Laws”. "But these exceptions don't automatically grant a voter the ability to cast a regular ballot: in Pennsylvania and Indiana, voters will be given a provisional ballot and must sign an affidavit for their exemption within the given time frame." Other exemption reasons can include natural disasters, reasonable disabilities, or having a secret ID to avoid being harassed or abused. According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "Most States with strict voter identification requirements make some exceptions" (Underhill).

What do all these laws cost? According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, "Costs are among the primary factors that lawmakers—and voters—consider when evaluating legislative proposals" (Shanton and Underhill 1). In other words, the benefits of such requirements must outweigh the costs. The primary benefit is less voter fraud, causing more honest elections. The costs are not that simple.

Most of the costs are continuous, while others decrease with time, or are simply paid once. For example, some of the initial costs are new polling machinery, like ID scanners or voting devices. Continuous costs for ID legislation are printing extra provisional ballots, employing more poll workers, and publishing informative fliers about the nature of a state's newest specifications. The main ongoing cost (to the government) is that of providing "free" identification to those citizens unable to afford an ID. Opponents of the voter identification legislation like to claim that this cost is inexcusably cumbersome, but the American University surveyed voters in Indiana, Maryland, and Mississippi, finding that "[L]ess than 0.5 percent of respondents had neither a photo ID nor citizenship documentation" (Berardelli). This means that the cost of providing identification to disabled or low-income citizens is not as expensive as has been claimed. Still, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures' estimation, "Indiana estimated spending $13 to produce each free ID card, for a total of between $2 million and $3 million per year, for an overall total of $10,023,221 between 2007 and 2010" (Shanton and Underhill 2). This is still a major cost; however, some people's claims about the extent of its enormity are overblown.

One must not omit the conceivable costs. These may not arise in every state's ledger; however, they are feasible. A few prospective costs are litigation defense, and abiding by the regulations of the Voting Rights Act. An exemplary situation was the South Carolina voter ID lawsuit that ended up costing the state over three and a half million dollars (Shanton and Underhill 3). Another instance of an expensive lawsuit was the Wisconsin lawsuit, terminated a little more than two months ago, that cost the state at least $1 million.

If the costs of a voter identification law are overly exorbitant, then legislators obviously should look into trimming the budget needs of the proposed law. Notwithstanding liberty's pricelessness, any reasonable amount should be paid to maintain our liberty of expression in the right to vote. Also, legislators should balance the costs of these laws among state and local governments in such a way that all the budgets can be balanced, whether the solution be the state absorbing most of the cost, or city governments absorbing the cost, or county governments.
                Some local election officials believe additional administration costs can be absorbed into existing budgets.  But others think they will add costs at the local level [. . .] Legislators in other states may want to think about whether and how to share voter ID expenses between state and local governments. (Shanton and Underhill 5)
One thing must be made certain: requiring voter identification should not be the jurisdiction of the federal government, but that of the states. Apart from the requirement of first-time voters to show a photo ID under the Help America Vote Act, the states should be the primary legislators of voter ID statutes.

The current involvement of the federal government in the states' voter identification laws smacks of the overreach that is so common in the federal government today. According to the Associated Press, Attorney General Eric Holder said:
                We are extremely heartened by the [U.S. District Court's] decision, which affirms our position that the Texas voter identification law unfairly and unnecessarily restricts access to the franchise. We are also pleased that the Supreme Court has refused to allow Wisconsin to implement its own restrictive voter identification law [. . .] Even after the Voting Rights Act was seriously eroded last year, we vowed to continue enforcing the remaining portions of that statute as aggressively as possible. This ruling is an important vindication of those efforts." (“Courts Block”)
This view taken by the Justice Department focuses on the possible discrimination in the laws instead of the immense help they provide to the electoral system.

As soon as voter ID is discussed, the smearing and blame games begin. Many think that this topic is purely partisan; however, it can be addressed in light of common sense and statistics. Often, the Liberals claim that seemingly half the population is disenfranchised (causing a negative decrease in voter turnout), while denying even the most minuscule chance that voter fraud exists. In his blog “FiveThirtyEight”, Nate Silver claims, "[I]t's clear enough that stricter voter ID requirements are probably bad for Democrats, on balance. In almost every state where the ID laws have been an issue, Republican governors and legislatures have been on the side of passing stricter ones, while Democrats have sought to block them." On the other hand, Republicans argue what GOPUSA author, Susan Brown, says in her article. "So, why are they so afraid of voter ID? Maybe because Liberals couldn't win elections without rampant voter fraud?" Brown claims that election results are being slanted because of the laxness of requirements, and that is why the Democrats like less restrictions.

On both sides of this argument, many points rely on facts that have been proven to be myths. Here is an illustration: Conservatives all say that a photo identification is necessary to do many relevant things in life, such as flying on an airplane. However, Justin Levitt, an associate professor at Loyola Law School in Los Angeles, has proved otherwise:
                [W]hen I got to Los Angeles Airport, I had no photo ID in my wallet, government-isssued or otherwise.  Instead, I had two credit cards, a firing range card, a health insurance card, a blood donor card, a coffee shop frequent visitor card, and a few business cards, all without photos. [. . .] The TSA officer at the airport check-in station examined my boarding pass, and asked me to step aside for additional questions; [. . .] I estimate that the procedure lasted approximately ten minutes longer than the normal procedure experienced by individuals in the same line who had photo identification on hand. (Levitt)
Levitt proved that a person doesn't have to use a photo identification to fly on an airliner. He concludes that “Commercial vendors and federal governments alike have demonstrated that when it is financially or politically important to extend access even to citizens without certain photo identification, such citizens can be accommodated with minimal disruption to normal business practices” (Levitt). He is correct in saying that the government should not discriminate against citizens who do not possess a photo ID, but there are other courses of action when verifying a person's identity.

An instance of a failing liberal argument is the study done by the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University's School of Law entitled Citizens Without Proof. It surveyed “voting-age American citizens” (Spakovsky and Ingram) and tried to determine the quantity of Americans who were possibly being disenfranchised by voter ID laws. However, she fails to point out that the study does not verify whether the sample of “voting-age citizens” are registered to vote or are even likely voters. Disclarity happens often when opponents of ID laws try to cite a statistic or study.

One of the main questions raised when discussing the effects of voter identification legislation is whether or not voter turnout is affected. This is a pointed question, because, without fail, voter ID laws do certainly reduce voter turnout, but that is solely caused by the law's purpose, to deny ineligible voters the right (which is not their right anyway) to vote. Still, an author for the New York Times believes that there is a specific reason for the decline in turnout. “Nevertheless, it’s clear enough that stricter voter ID requirements are probably bad for Democrats, on balance,” Nate Silver stated. “In almost every state where the ID laws have been at issue, Republican governors and legislatures have been on the side of passing stricter ones, while Democrats have sought to block them.” Silver is blaming the voter ID discrimination of Democrats on the Republican party. He claims that Democrat turnout is negatively affected because of all the “minorities” that are in the Democratic Party. Some of these minorities include Hispanics, African-Americans, students, elderly, and the economically challenged. However, Silver does not acknowledge that in these minorities, there are people who are not eligible to vote. For example, a Hispanic can be an illegal immigrant, in which case he would not be allowed to vote. Also, a student who has submitted an absentee ballot to his native state is not allowed to vote using his student identification in the state in which he is in college, logically. They are not all Democrats. For example, there are some Hispanics, and African-Americans who are strong conservatives, and the same goes for students, the economically challenged, and the elderly. Voter identification legislation does reduce voter turnout because it is a safeguard against fraud, but that reduction is not discriminatory because the law does not specifically state that a certain group of people are not allowed to vote.

One of the most-used statistical polls conducted concerning the influence of ID legislation is Citizens Without Proof, but much of this research is faulty or vague. Hans A. Von Spakovsky, who is a senior legal fellow at the Heritage Foundation, and Alex Ingram, a member of the Young Leaders Program at the Heritage Foundation, write, “[It] is the study most frequently cited by opponents of voter identification requirements.” They are correct. Even Suevon Lee, a ProPublica author with master's degrees from Yale (law) and Northwestern University (journalism), uses a statistic from the Brennan Center's report in her summary of voter ID arguments, when she said, “According to a study from NYU's Brennan Center, 11 percent of voting-age citizens lack necessary photo ID.” However, she fails to point out that the study does not verify whether sample of “voting-age citizens” are registered to vote or are even likely voters. Additionally, this study does not meet standard criteria for verifying its results. For example, the Brennan Center only interviewed 987 individuals, and then proceeded to determine an approximate representation of the Americans eighteen years or older, who do not have the proper form of identification to vote (Spakovsky and Ingram). “By neglecting to ask whether respondents were actual or likely voters, registered voters, or even eligible to vote at all,” Spakovsky and Ingram reason, “the study ignores the most relevant data on this issue: the numbers of eligible citizens who would have voted but could not because of voter identification laws.” Furthermore, the questions that the survey did ask were ambiguous, like the inquiry into if its participants had “readily available identification,” or if they had citizenship papers “in a place where you can quickly find it if you had to show it tomorrow” (Spakovsky and Ingram). These questions can be obscure or confusing to many people, even if they did have what the pollsters were asking about. May I also point out that these questions are already partly meaningless since elections are always anticipated months ahead of the voting period, therefore anyone who has intentions of voting does not need to obtain his identification “quickly” or “tomorrow.” Finally, data from most other studies seems to negate the data in Citizens Without Proof. For instance, the Brennan Center study claims that “As many as 11 percent of voting-age United States citizens – more than 21 million individuals – do not have current unexpired government-issued photo identification” (About the Issue). However, “A 2006 survey of more than 36,000 voters found that only '23 people in the entire sample—less than one-tenth of one percent of reported voters' were unable to vote because of an ID requirement” (Spakovsky and Ingram). In summary, the Brennan Center's study claims widespread discrimination of minorities caused by the ID laws. However, many other studies contradict the Brennan Center survey, and it clearly was not done according to professional protocol when it comes to conducting surveys.

Voter identification requirements are the simplest form of anti-fraud legislation for America's electoral system. Remaining as the most manageable form of security, they are clear and easy to follow, since the showing of an ID, photo or otherwise, is extremely straightforward, and the process of verifying your identity if you do not have an ID is fairly simple. Despite claims of racial discrimination, the laws are not “poll taxes,” as Attorney General Eric Holder claims (Greenhut). They are just a safeguard of the electoral system of our country. Besides, any free electoral system needs a safeguard against fraud. Otherwise, because of human nature, as mentioned earlier, one party will always wish to exploit the other.

The identification requirement is a basic necessity to keeping American elections fair and objective. The Supreme Court even agrees:
                Justice John Paul Stevens of the U.S. Supreme Court wrote in Crawford v. Marion County Election Board that “flagrant examples” of voter fraud “have been documented throughout our nation’s history by respected historians and journalists” which “demonstrate that not only is the risk of voter fraud real, but that it could affect the outcome of a close election. (Berardelli)
In other words, the Supreme Court rightly believes that fraud is an imminent danger in free elections and must be stopped. This is why voter identification legislation is a proven and reliable source of defense against election fraud, whether it be in voter impersonation, multiple-time voting, or illegal uses of absentee ballots.

Some people view the legislation as racist or discriminatory, but it is actually made for all American citizens to obey. The issue is that often the lobbyists and activists claiming disenfranchisement fall into making excuses for certain groups of people. One demonstration of this is that the interest groups like that NAACP and the League of United Latin American Citizens assert that voter ID laws disenfranchise minorities according to race or socio-economic status, and that they are dangerous. Attorney General Eric Holder said that “Many of those without IDs would have to travel great distances to get them and some would struggle to pay for the documents they might need to obtain them. We call those poll taxes” (Greenhut). He is right that some citizens might not have ID, but the citizens who are Hispanics or African-Americans, who are registered to vote and interested in voting should have obtained a valid form of ID in the process. However, the necessity of a photo identification is only a one-time cost to all voters, and the Supreme Court has required that each state have provisions for free IDs to those who cannot afford them. Also, since most Americans have to show an ID to register to vote, the minorities are not “discriminated against” because a large majority of them already have an ID. Logically, if an American is on welfare, he must have some form of identification. The federal government requires that. There is therefore no excuse to the person who claims that he cannot afford an ID.

Another protest of the victim-voter mentality is the vulnerability of elderly people. Opponents of voter ID claim that the elderly are being disenfranchised because many of them do not drive or lack a means of transportation. First, this argument is like saying “I don't have a car, so I cannot get a valid ID to vote.” There are other ways to obtain a required photo ID besides getting a driver's license. The DMV even offers an ID for non-driving citizens. The elderly person could have either a friend or family member drive them to the right place to get their ID. If the senior cannot drive and has no friends or family nearby, then obtaining an absentee ballot is the easiest way to vote. Just call the local government and follow the standard procedures. Therefore, again, the elderly citizen is not as disenfranchised as one might think.

The newest minority that is being targeted by voter ID opposition is the college student population. In an article entitled “How Millennials Are Changing the Debate Over Voter ID Laws”, Tess Vandendolder says that “. . .[T]here is another demographic being harmed by these restrictive laws as well, namely, college students and transient young people.” She means that the student and young adult populations are disenfranchised because not many of them have a car, and therefore do not have a driver's license or valid form of photo ID. She is glad that
                A current case being heard in the North Carolina courts is being fought by a new coalition of college students, as well as the usual suspects of the NAACP and the American Civil Liberties Union, which argue that drivers' licenses are not a universally accessible form of identification.       [. . .] [T]his new coalition is instead arguing that the laws are at odds with the 26th Amendment which lowers the voting age from 21 to 18 and declares that voting rights “shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any state on account of age.” (VandenDolder)
She is also using the argument that if a person does not have a driver's license, then they therefore cannot have a valid form of ID. This argument is invalid because the driver's license is not the only valid form of identification in the state of South Carolina. However, VandenDolder believes that a college student should be able to vote in the state in which they are in school and not have to mail an absentee ballot to their home state. This requires that the student be able to use their college identification to vote in that state. This can be problematic because a student may absentee vote in their state and then vote in their college state, casting two votes. VandenDolder claims that this rarely ever happens, so students should be able to vote with a student access card with a photo. However, the student could just ask a parent to get an absentee ballot for their state and vote legitimately in their home state. In short, students are now calling voter ID laws discriminatory because they cannot use a student identification card to vote in some states. Finally, in her conclusion, VandenDolder says that “Overall this shifting of the debate from one only affecting minorities to an issue of importance to young people everywhere means that voter ID laws will only become more controversial in the coming years,” taking her premise and applying it to all the states in this final statement. This is not a correct premise because not every state disqualifies student IDs as a valid form of identification.

There is a history behind the victim-voter mentality. In 2000, the Florida presidential election caused a great stir about voter responsibility. The issue of the day was whether or not ballots with chads intact counted as real votes. A chad is the punched-off piece of a ballot. Chads make vote counting difficult because the voting machine reads chads inconsistently, causing incorrect election results that, in a close enough election, may affect the outcome of the election. The chad ballots caused confusion for some voters, who claimed that the ballot instructions were confusing (Sharp). However, each polling station explained to the voters how to use that ballot, and at every site there were posters that read:
                Note: If you make a mistake, return your ballot card and obtain another.
                AFTER VOTING, CHECK YOUR BALLOT CARD TO BE SURE YOUR VOTING SELECTIONS ARE CLEARLY AND CLEANLY PUNCHED AND THERE ARE NO CHIPS LEFT HANGING ON THE BACK OF THE CARD. (Whitman 13)
So, the voting sites gave ballot instructions, with specific and detailed explanations, in all capital letters, on an informative paper that the voters could all see. This is the issue with a victim-voter mentality: voters now have no responsibility to vote correctly or provide what voting law prescribes in order to vote. This concept can then be applied to voter ID laws. In other words, a voter cannot be responsible to show an ID because the law may end up disenfranchising him. This mentality is incorrect because then there cannot be any safeguard on the electoral system, which means it will quickly decay into disorder. Andrew Sullivan, senior editor of The New Republic, points out that “a strict, clear, technical standard for a vote should be maintained at all costs” (Whitman 15). He believes that legislation concerning voting should be welcomed because it maintains order in elections and ensures that responsibilities of voters be upheld as necessity. Some try to diminish the responsibility of a voter to be honest, by claiming that any requirements disenfranchise those who do not obey them.

Lastly, the electoral process was designed in a way such that elections are free, but require the “virtuous people” that our Founding Fathers spoke about. Benjamin Franklin once said, "Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become more corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters." John Adams also believed that "[I]t is religion and morality alone which can establish the principles upon which freedom can securely stand. The only foundation of a free constitution is pure virtue." They had all studied the history of government such that they knew human nature could not be governed without virtue. This principle must be applied to voting. Since some cannot vote responsibly, there have to be laws that keep order. Because those voters cannot vote correctly (i.e. govern themselves), the government must now make laws to govern them. The entire course of human nature is summed up in this argument.

Obviously, voter ID laws would not be necessary if humans were perfect, but we are not. The legislation that provides requirements for voter identification are actually necessary to the well-being of our electoral system, they are an indispensable factor in protecting the system against fraud, and they are not prejudiced against minorities. The voter actually has a responsibility to show the valid form of identification, when it is at all possible. The ID requirements allow ID to be given to those who cannot afford it, so we do not need to worry about discrimination. Gene Berardelli said that “what should be a debate about preserving the integrity of the electoral system has been hijacked by the politics of division.” He is absolutely right. If everyone—liberals and conservatives—would just use their energy to educate voters on this issue, there would be no need of protest against such practical laws.







Works Cited

“About the Issue." VoteRiders. N.p., n.d. Web. 21 Oct. 2014. http://www.voteriders.org/about/issue.

Berardelli, Gene. “Hard Evidence Supports the Need for Voter ID Laws- IVN.us.” IVNus. N.P., 16 Jan. 2014. Web. 16 Sep. 2014. http://ivn.us/2014/01/16/hard-evidence-supports-need-voter-id-laws/.

Brown, Susan S. “A case for Voter ID.” Commentary A Case for Voter ID Comments. N.p., 26 Mar. 2014. Web. 26 Sep. 2014. http://www.gopusa.com/commentary/2014/03/26/a-case-for-voter-id/.

"Courts Block Voter ID Laws in Texas, Wisconsin." Gopusa.com. Associated Press, 10 Oct. 2014. Web. 23 Oct. 2014. http %3A%2F%2Fwww.gopusa.com%2Fnews%2F2014%2F10%2F10%2Fcourts-block-voter-id-laws-in-texas- wisconsin%2F%3Fsubscriber%3D1.

Greenhut, Stephen. “Requiring ID to Vote Is Not Racist.” US News. U.S. News & World Report, 13 July 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2014. http://www.usnews.com/debate-club/should-photo-id-be-required-to- vote/requiring-id-to-vote-is-not-racist.

Lee, Suevon. “Everything You've Ever Wanted to Know About Voter ID Laws.” Top Stories RSS. N.p., 5 Nov. 2012. Web. 16 Sep. 2014. http://www.propublica.org/article/everything-youve-ever-wanted-to- know-about-voter-id-laws.

Levitt, Justin. “Summary Judgements: Company at 30,000 Feet: Plane Travel and the Voter ID Controversy.” Company at 30,000 Feet: Plane Travel and the Voter ID Controversy. N.p., 22 Oct. 2012. Web. 11 Oct. 2014. http://summaryjudgements.lls.edu/2012/10/company-at-30000-feet-plane-travel-
and_2161.html.

Shanton, Karen, and Wendy Underhill. “Costs of Voter Identification.” (n.d.): n. pag. June 2014. Web. 26 Sep. 2014 http://www.ncsl.org/documents/legismgt/elect/Voter_ID_Costs_June2014.pdf.

Sharp, Deborah. "Florida Ready to Move Past Chads of 2000 Election." USA Today 14 Aug. 2002: n. pag. Print.

Silver, Nate. “Measuring the Effects of Voter Identification Laws.” FiveThirtyEight Measuring the Effects of Voter Identification Laws Comments. New York Times, 05 July 2012. Web. 26 Sep. 2014. http://fivethirtyeight.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/07/15/measuring-the-effects-of-voter-identification-laws/? _php=true&_type=blogs&_php=true&_type=blogs&_r=/.

Underhill, Wendy. "Voter Identification Requirements | Voter ID Laws." Voter Identification Requirements | Voter ID Laws. National Conference of State Legislatures, 21 Oct. 2014. Web. 21 Oct. 2014. http://www.ncsl.org/research/elections-and-campaigns/voter-id.aspx.

VandenDolder, Tess. “How Millennials Are Changing the Debate Over Voter ID Laws.” InTheCapital. N.p., 7 July 2014. Web. 16 Sep. 2014. http://inthecapital.streetwise.co/2014/07/07/how-millennials-are-changing-the-debate- over-voter-id-laws/.

Von Spakovsky, Hans A., and Alex Ingram. “Without Proof: The Unpersuasive Case Against Voter Identification.” The Heritage Foundation. N.p., 24 Aug. 2014. Web. 16 Sep. 2014. www.heritage.org/research/reports/2011/08/without-proof-the-unpersuasive-case-against-voter- identification#_ftn5.


Whitman, Mark. “Setting the Stage/Bad Intent.” Florida 2000: A Sourcebook on the Contested Presidential Election.” Boulder, Co.: Lynne Rienner, 2003. 1-15. Print.

Saturday, August 2, 2014

A Security Threat, Not Protection

July 7, 2014

A Security Threat, Not Protection



Gun Control. To many people, these two words bring sighs of relief and feelings of security. To others, they mean encroachment on Americans' rights. Before determining how you should feel about it, let's define gun control.

Theoretically, gun control is implemented by laws that prohibit certain guns or ammunition. A gun control law can also ban concealed carry permits, or simply the right to own a gun. In other words, gun control increases the difficulty of buying or owning a gun.

Firearms come in all shapes and sizes, with many different features and accessories. Whether prohibitory gun laws focus on restrictions on the characteristics of a gun or just gun rights, the end result always complicates the process of buying a gun. Despite the ultimate goal of these laws, to take guns from criminals, who don't even obtain guns legally, the laws are not only useless but also harmful to law-abiding citizens who only want to protect their property ("10 Arguments Against Gun Control"). Thus implications hinder the goal: protection of law-abiding citizens.

You have likely heard of the saying, “You don't bring a knife to a gunfight.” If you are assaulted by a criminal who is armed, defending yourself would be extremely difficult unless you are also armed. Gun control laws are preventing citizens from defending themselves in the face of crime.

In many cases, a villain will not assault someone if he suspects that person may be concealing a firearm, and although nobody should assume that an armed populous prevents all crimes and casualties, it does decrease them greatly. In fact, "the United States is #1 in the world in gun ownership, and yet it is only 28th in the world in gun murders per 100,000 people, and, almost every mass shooting that has occurred in the United States since 1950 has taken place in a state with strict gun control laws" (Snyder). What if the shooter at Sandy Hook Elementary School had known that one of the teachers carried a gun? Perhaps, because of the presence of an armed teacher those children would not have been mass-murdered. And what of the shooter in the Aurora, Colorado movie theater? If one of the spectators had had a gun, the shooter would have been stopped sooner. Unfortunately, though, the movie theater was a gun-free zone. In any case, when a crime is committed, if an armed citizen is present, the crime itself may actually be stopped, or the shooter disarmed sooner if a victim has a gun.

Advocates of gun control often don't see the unintended consequences in their logic. Suppose a national law states that no one can own a gun. Period. This idea omits all crimes committed with weapons other than guns. It also overlooks crimes committed by law-abiding citizens who buy their firearm legally and then take illegal action. It’s impossible, if not at least difficult, to determine if a person who initially purchases a gun as a law-abiding citizen will use his or her legally acquired firearm to commit a crime. Therefore, gun control actually would not rid the nation of crime or murder.

The second amendment to the Constitution clearly states that, “A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms shall not be infringed.” This is a matter of interpretation, but militia or no militia, the most basic interpretation of that amendment is that all private citizens have the “right to bear arms.” Notice that it does not read: The right to keep and bear arms in a well-regulated militia shall not be infringed. If the founding fathers had intended that interpretation, they surely would have written it that way ("Gun Control: Five Reasons Why It Won't Work").

The false logic behind gun control is that because guns are limited, there will be fewer guns, and less crimes. That is often not the case. However, because of anti-gun laws, Americans would be stripped of their constitutional rights and of the strongest defense against violent crime, while the criminals obviously will always have weapons. This creates a defenseless society. Anyone can see through the well-meant but faulty logic of gun control advocates, realizing that banning weapons used in crime does not prevent crime. It disarms victims.

By Liz Ann Berg
Edited by Cheyanne Durham
and Otis Slugsworth








Works Cited

"10 Arguments Against Gun Control - Listverse." Listverse. N.p., 12 Dec. 2013. Web. 03 July 2014.

"Gun Control: Five Reasons Why It Won’t Work." The Clause. N.p., 1 Feb. 2013. Web. 06 July 2014.

Snyder, Michael. "18 Little-Known Gun Facts That Prove That Guns Make Us Safer." Infowars. N.p., 12 Aug. 2013. Web. 04 July 2014.

Saturday, July 5, 2014

Crimea: Past, Present, and Future

April 13, 2014


Crimea: Past, Present, and Future



Civil unrest. Democracy verses tyranny. The ever-present struggle remains the deciding factor in the world's latest conflict, the Crimean rebellion. Pro-Russian Crimean rebels have taken over the government buildings in the capitol of Crimea, and, as an ally of the Ukraine, it may seem that the United States should intervene to “save” Crimea. However, a wise decision would be to think before you act, then act with prudence. The outcome of the struggle must be determined by the Crimean citizens. In this case, the Crimean people may think us presumptuous to interfere of our own accord; perhaps we are hindering their true wishes. Also, history often holds the key to first-glance pandemonium. So first we will examine the history of the area, then consider the possible wishes of the Crimean people, explore why an intervention would be imprudent, and determine if action will maintain positive relations with Russia and the Ukraine.


Map of Crimea Courtesy of lonelyplanet.com


Russia first annexed the Crimea in 1779, a decade after having defeated the Ottoman Turks, later exiling all the Muslims to nearby countries like Kazakhstan and Uzbekistan. Crimea remained a part of the Russian Czarist Empire, and incidentally transferred to the Soviet Union, becoming part of the RSFSR (Russian Soviet Federation of Socialist Republics) in 1917. Secretary Nikita Krushchev supposedly gave it to Ukraine in 1954 as a present on the 300th anniversary of the past union of Ukraine and the Russian Empire back in 1654. Some historians also propose that Krushchev gave Crimea to Ukraine because the two were close culturally and economically. Still other historians think those theories are invalid, for logical reasons, and that Krushchev gave the Crimea away to solidify relations between the Russian Soviet Socialist Republic and the Ukranian Soviet Socialist Republic (Calamur). Whatever the reason, the Crimean Peninsula remained a part of the free country of Ukraine after the collapse of the Soviet Union.

Apparently, some Russians think that the “gift” of Crimea was a political mistake on the part of Krushchev. I would happen to agree with them. Current President of Russia Vladimir Putin said, “In people's hearts and minds, Crimea has always been an inseparable part of Russia.” (Walker). He is partially right because Crimea was an influential part of Russia, providing the Russian port and naval base Sevastopol, on the Black Sea. Also, Crimea is culturally more Russian in heritage than Ukrainian. About 60% of the current population is Russian. In my opinion, the re-uniting of Russia and Crimea was inevitable, because of the Russian heritage and influence in the area. It seems that the Crimean people are content with this outcome.

Still, American leaders think that this kind of reunion with Russia is outrageous. Barack Obama is working to ensure that Crimea and Ukraine stay together. He believes that in the name of democracy, the U.S. and other NATO countries should intervene to keep Crimea liberated. Is this what the Crimean people want?

To fully understand the supposed significance of this “crisis,” you must employ sufficient knowledge of the origin and treaty of NATO. The North Atlantic Treaty Organization was founded in 1949, when a group of 12 nations from the UN came together to draft a treaty for an alliance of nations specifically in the North Atlantic region. The original twelve members were Belgium, Canada, Denmark, France, Iceland, Italy, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, the United Kingdom, and the United States. Greece and Turkey joined in 1952, Germany in 1955, Spain in 1982, the Czech Republic, Hungary, and Poland in 1999, Bulgaria, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Romania, Slovakia, and Slovenia in 2004, and Albania and Croatia in 2009. (NATO)

Wait a minute. Ukraine is not on the list of member nations in the NATO treaty? Even though Ukraine is an ally of the United States, we are not bound by treaty to defend it. Second, the issue does not affect America or endanger our borders. Therefore, we should not intervene, but leave the Crimean populous to choose if they want to become part of Russia again. Third, a free election was held for Crimeans to voice their decision on the issue, and they voted to join Russia. The U.S. should remain neutral on this one.

That doesn't mean that we should completely abandon Ukraine. In 2009, President Obama confirmed that he would uphold the 1994 Budapest Memorandum on Security Assurances, basically a pledge that the U.S., U.K., and Russia would “Respect the sovereignty and the existing borders of Ukraine” (Arend). This treaty also promises that, “Ukraine, the Russian Federation, the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and the United States of America will consult in the event a situation arises that raises a question concerning these commitments” (Arend). In other words, we three nations are supposed to respect Ukraine, and if anyone encroaches on Ukraine the other parties should point out the disrespectful conduct at a UN Security Council meeting. But we do not promise to protect the Ukraine with force in that treaty, so support should be limited to the treaty's paramiters.

You knew this question was coming. Do the Crimeans want us to intervene? Pushing a rescue of Crimea could cause them to think that we have an interest in their territory or politics, which we don't. Our current stance is increasing the already gaping crevice in our relations with Russia. Basically, just like Theodore Roosevelt's “world policeman” foreign policy toward the Central and South American countries fostered feelings of enmity, our presumption that everyone wants our help will multiply negative responses from Eastern Europe and Russia.

Another reason to remain autonomous in this international argument is that first we must investigate the constitutionality of such an intervention. Congress (the Senate) has the authority to declare war, not the President. Reading Section Eight of the Constitution, it states that, “The Congress shall have Power To.....declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water; to raise and support Armies...to provide and maintain a Navy; to make Rules for the Government and Regulation of the land and naval Forces,” among other privileges. So the Senate has the power to make these decisions. If President Obama were to try to recapture Crimea for Ukraine, it would be unconstitutional. I also believe many of Obama's sanctions on Russian diplomats are a misuse of executive orders, exemplified by his newest executive order giving him power to freeze the assets (private property) of anyone who speaks out against Crimean independence.

The last reason, but certainly not the least, is our economic capacity. This reason hinders any attempted action on the part of the United States. As of last October, US debt had risen to a monstrous 17 trillion dollars, (Dinan) and that is not even the major issue. Hundreds of thousands of people who are and will receive funds from federal programs like Social Security and Medicare would obviously expect to receive those in the future. This creates a monstrous unfunded federal liability. Burdened by these social debts, the Federal Government does not have funds to spare. Past experiences, like when president Lyndon Johnson tried to maintain his Great Society domestically and support troops inVietnam, have proven that a nation “cannot have both guns and butter”.

To further clarify, let me summarize my position. Russia has annexed Crimea. The US does not need to defend Crimea because first, it wanted to be reunited with Russia, and second, it was and is more culturally and economically similar to Russia. Also, Congress is not making any move to declare war on Russia, and the President does not have power to do so. Finally, America cannot afford to defy an inevitable situation. Despite the seemingly innocent annexation of Crimea, Americans should not become naive and blind to other scenarios. World War II began with a pacifist mentality that later developed into a massive security threat. If a situation were to arise in which Vladimir Putin tried to annex any other Eastern European territory, we need to remain on our guard.

                                                                                                                           By Liz Ann Berg










Bibliography


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