Chronicle Page 4 | Friday, October 14, 2011 Opinion BE TRANSFORMED. TRANSFER TO LOYOLA , MEET WITH AN ADMISSION COUNSELOR: College of Lake County • 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Nov. 2 • Atrium At a Loyola open house • 10 a.m., Nov. 12 and 19 • Lake Shore Campus Adult learners interested in completing their bachelor’s degree are encouraged to apply. To schedule a visit or apply, visit LUC.edu/transfer . Republicans seeking to block the vote Joshua May Staff Writer Class warfare has been a central theme of U.S. politi- cal debate recently. Whether it’s Republi- cans calling out President Obama’s proposed new tax rate for millionaires or the protesters of the “Occupy” movement fighting against economic inequality. The idea of class warfare is usually reserved to econom- ic and public policy. Americans don’t realize that their right to vote could be determined by their so- cioeconomic status. The comfort that came with knowing almost every- one had a right to express their views at the ballot box is fading. Republican legislatures in 14 states have passed laws requiring photo I.D. to vote that, according to the Bren- nan Center for Justice, will disenfranchise over five mil- lion voters. Republicans claim that the laws will decrease voter fraud. The time of corrupt politi- cal machines is over, ballots are secret, elections are run in a non-partisan fashion and no one gets offered free lunch and a beer to vote for a certain party. Voter fraud is simply not a problem in this country. The states know that these laws will disproportionately affect the poor and minori- ties. The state of Texas has determined that over 600,000 of its voters don’t have a driver’s license or state issued identification card. They don’t seem too con- cerned, especially since those groups vote largely Democratic. South Carolina, Tennes- see, Wisconsin and Texas won’t accept student I.D. cards, again, a group that votes largely for Democrats. Don’t worry though, you can still use your concealed handgun license to cast a ballot in Texas. The GOP dominated the 2010 elections on a platform of austerity. States are required to pro- vide I.D. cards to citizens who don’t have them if they require I.D. to vote. Hundreds of thousands of people in each state that have enacted these laws don’t have state I.D. The cost to provide that identification could be in the millions and states are al- ready hard pressed for funds. That doesn’t exactly fit with the GOP’s promise to cut spending. For Republicans, the ben- efits of keeping Democrats away from the polls out- weigh the costs incurred by producing additional I.D.’s. The United States voter turnout is ranked 140 in the world according to The In- stitute for Democracy and Electoral Assistance. Our leaders should be fos- tering voter participation not stifling it. Unfortunately, class war- fare is in full swing but those battles should be fought in Congress or Wall Street. They can’t be allowed to rob people of their right to vote. Politics just doesn’t belong in the voting booth.
October 14, 2011
Mar 25, 2016
Chronicle MEET WITH AN ADMISSION COUNSELOR: College of Lake County • 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Nov. 2 • Atrium At a Loyola open house • 10 a.m., Nov. 12 and 19 • Lake Shore Campus Adult learners interested in completing their bachelor’s degree are encouraged to apply. To schedule a visit or apply, visit LUC.edu/transfer. Page 4 | Friday, October 14, 2011
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Chronicle Page 4 | Friday, October 14, 2011 Opinion
BE TRANSFORMED.
TRANSFER TO
LOYOLA,MEET WITH AN ADMISSION COUNSELOR:
College of Lake County • 10 a.m.–1 p.m., Nov. 2 • AtriumAt a Loyola open house • 10 a.m., Nov. 12 and 19 • Lake Shore Campus Adult learners interested in completing their bachelor’s degree are encouraged to apply. To schedule a visit or apply, visit LUC.edu/transfer.
Republicans seeking to block the voteJoshua May Staff Writer
Class warfare has been a central theme of U.S. politi-cal debate recently.
Whether it’s Republi-cans calling out President Obama’s proposed new tax rate for millionaires or the protesters of the “Occupy” movement fighting against economic inequality.
The idea of class warfare is usually reserved to econom-ic and public policy.
Americans don’t realize that their right to vote could be determined by their so-cioeconomic status.
The comfort that came with knowing almost every-one had a right to express their views at the ballot box is fading.
Republican legislatures in 14 states have passed laws requiring photo I.D. to vote that, according to the Bren-nan Center for Justice, will disenfranchise over five mil-lion voters.
Republicans claim that the laws will decrease voter fraud.
The time of corrupt politi-cal machines is over, ballots are secret, elections are run in a non-partisan fashion and no one gets offered free lunch and a beer to vote for a certain party.
Voter fraud is simply not a problem in this country.
The states know that these laws will disproportionately affect the poor and minori-ties.
The state of Texas has determined that over 600,000 of its voters don’t have a driver’s license or state issued identification card.
They don’t seem too con-cerned, especially since those groups vote largely Democratic.
South Carolina, Tennes-see, Wisconsin and Texas won’t accept student I.D. cards, again, a group that votes largely for Democrats. Don’t worry though, you can still use your concealed handgun license to cast a ballot in Texas.
The GOP dominated the 2010 elections on a platform of austerity.
States are required to pro-vide I.D. cards to citizens who don’t have them if they require I.D. to vote.
Hundreds of thousands of people in each state that have enacted these laws don’t have state I.D.
The cost to provide that identification could be in the millions and states are al-ready hard pressed for funds.
That doesn’t exactly fit with the GOP’s promise to cut spending.
For Republicans, the ben-efits of keeping Democrats away from the polls out-weigh the costs incurred by producing additional I.D.’s.
The United States voter turnout is ranked 140 in the world according to The In-stitute for Democracy and
Electoral Assistance. Our leaders should be fos-
tering voter participation not stifling it.
Unfortunately, class war-fare is in full swing but those battles should be fought in Congress or Wall Street. They can’t be allowed to rob people of their right to vote. Politics just doesn’t belong in the voting booth.
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