Quit complaining and vote

The head of the NAACP is comparing requirements in some states to show a government issued ID before voting to Jim Crow laws.  It seems that asking people to prove that they are indeed the person they claim to be is in some way discriminatory. The argument seems to be that the poor cannot afford an ID, young people might not get an ID, and the elderly might not be able to get to the license bureau to get one, and those groups tend to vote in a way that makes the NAACP happy.  The evil people who support these laws must be racists, ageists, and classist in some way.  Apparently, these laws are a racist reaction to the election of the first African American president, even though I've been hearing proposals for these laws since the mid-1990's.

My response:  Shut up.  I'm tired of hearing about it.  The laws have been passed by the people's representatives, approved by the chief executives of the states, and upheld by the courts.  The time to act like a petulant child is over.  If getting the young, the poor, the minority, and the old to the polls in order to support politicians that the NAACP likes is so important, then quit your bellyaching and start getting these people to the DMV to get an ID and then get them to the polls.  These groups obviously don't have a problem getting to a government office to arrange to have free money delivered.  Every state I've heard of has some program that allows the indigent to get an ID at no cost.  For those without the necessary paperwork, such as a birth certificate or Social Security card, you have over a year to get off your butt and get that taken care of so you can get an ID and vote.  Quit complaining, get off your butt, and do what needs doing.  If you can't be bothered to devote a couple of hours to get an ID, then I doubt you'll be bothered to register to vote and actually vote.

You know, I think some people would complain if it was raining gold.  Not too long before I was born, a person who wasn't lilly white had a hard time voting at all in some parts of this country.  Now you can get on the rolls and vote pretty much anywhere with little to no hassle.  And now the NAACP wants to complain because the voters of some states are being asked to prove their identity so that elections can be a bit cleaner.

Sometimes, I just want to stand on a corner yelling "Stop being a jerk!".  Comparing a requirement to acquire and present a little plastic card in order to do the most important thing a citizen can do to laws that restricted Americans of African descent from participating in most of society is asinine.  And while we're at it, how about a requirement to have an index finger dipped in flourescent indelible ink so that the slogan of "Vote Early, Vote Often" becomes meaningless?