by Paul Wylie

Created on: January 10, 2008

Give A Homeless Voter A Break From The Bat Cave

Right now, at this very moment, the far right leaning Supreme Court of the United States is deciding the case of Indiana's new voter I.D. law, and whether or not it amounts to a poll tax, which of course would be unconstitutional. According to recent media accounts, the sense that reporters are getting is that the court will be split once again along ideological and party lines, meaning another 5-4 split in favor of more government run amok.

In theory, I'm not so sure that I objected to the voter I.D. law at face value, and actually intended to write today about why I supported the idea. But then I did some checking with homeless advocates, and other agencies that work with the poor, and realized that what this law will do, is basically disenfranchise an entire voting bloc that usually votes for Democrats.

The argument can be made I suppose, that forcing voters to provide an identification card in order to vote will cut down on fraudulent votes being cast, but in the larger political picture, one can also see where the abuse of that law can and will take effect. Should the Court come down on the side of the Bush Administration and the State of Indiana, it will open the flood gates to all states trying to push through even stricter voter laws, especially in traditional Republican strongholds, and can force open the door to the argument over the National I.D. card being foisted on us by the government.

Another entire voting bloc of poor persons that would be completely disenfranchised would be the 5 million homeless Americans. Say what you will, but they are still American citizens, and as such, have as much right to the voting booth as you and I.

This law would cut them out of the process and here's why. The average I.D. card in many states costs as much as $28.00. Many homeless people have no I.D. at all, and in order to obtain that I.D., they would have to have an address for their home state to send their birth certificate to, which by itself can cost up to $70.00 in some states. Other states require even more than just a birth certificate in order to get a state issued I.D., such as a passport, military I.D., school records, or in places like New Hampshire, a certificate of residency notarized by a Justice Of the Peace.

How in the world are the poor of our nation expected to obtain all of these documents, when their day to day existence is a scrounging for food or shelter? Many millions of Americans fall way below

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