September 17th is National Black Voter Day. The purpose for this day is to increase voter registration, and push back against voter suppression, which is considered having to produce some sort of identification. In my opinion the problem is not that the black vote is being restricted or suppressed, it’s that black people as a whole intentionally don’t vote. Black people are not known to be very involved in civic or economic development in their community. Astonishingly, Carol Anderson writes that in the 2016 elections, blacks did not show up to vote. She writes that blacks virtually boycotted the election because “they simply saw no reason to vote for Hillary.” As proof, of blacks’ coolness toward Hillary, journalist pointed to the much greater turnout for Obama in 2008 and 2012. Yet, Ms. Anderson goes on to write that in addition to these reports, Republican legislatures, and governors systematically blocked minorities from the polls. So, there was high turnout in 2008 and 2012 but four years later extremely suppressive policy were put in place, even though in the same breath you state blacks saw no reason to vote for Hillary? It’s clear most blacks wait to be told who to vote for by their “leadership”. This in and of itself is a huge issue. They also tend to vote on personality verses policies. With no Obama and no anti-Trump sentiment, what motivates blacks to vote?
Who is the black voter? The assumption is that the black voter is, has been, and always will be the base of the democrat party. The belief is the black voter is ignorant, poor, uneducated, and always in need of a helping hand. When we discuss the issues of voter suppression and the inability to get proper identification, who in the black community are we speaking to?
Are we speaking to wealthy, rich and middle-class black people, who work, travel, pay their taxes and are creating a better life for them and their family? Are we speaking to gang members? Are we addressing Americans, who have never voted and will never vote because they just don’t want to? Who in the black community truly believes they cannot vote in America in 2022? If you are reading these words and know anyone of any race who currently does not have or cannot obtain any form of identification, please let me know. My guess is none of you know such a person.
The goal and purpose of National Black Voter Day should be to inspire black people to vote by sharing information about candidates on both sides and policy information so everyone can make informed voting decisions. It should be made clear that voting is not a popularity contest. This day should be used to point out obvious examples of voter suppression and voter fraud. Groups should be formed to help voters obtain proper identification, in a timely manner so there are no issues when the time comes to vote. This could be done by taking people to the DMV or helping them obtain the documents they may need in order to get proper identification. Blacks should be encouraged to volunteer at polling stations during elections.
Finally, a day such as this should be for all Americans.
As I mentioned earlier, the MSM and the Democrat party are already planning how to win the upcoming November elections. Soon we’ll start to hear news stories of how requiring a voter, especially a black voter, to have to produce some sort of legitimate form of identification is voter suppression and of course is racist. The discussion centers around the cost associated with obtaining identification and sometime the amount of time required due to the location of facilities that provide the needed ID. The concept of the vote being suppressed is made to look like a poll tax when cost come into question. An article published by the American Civil Liberties Union suggest it could cost a voter upwards of $200.00 when you combine the cost of travel, document fees, and taking time off from work. Again, in states such as Texas you can vote if you do not have proper ID. There are other options available which still allow the person to vote. Instead of only presenting the problem, these groups and organizations need to present answers. The correct answers are not that everything is racist and that minorities and the elderly cannot do what’s necessary to get the documents. The correct answer is to make it happen. We are able to mobilize persons for all sorts of things but fall sort when it comes to assisting those who we believe need help getting proper ID so they can vote. Many of the articles I read concerning these issues present what they believe to be the problem but present no ideas about resolving the problem. They also present the issue in general terms such as seven states (article does not identify the seven states) have strict photo ID laws, under which voters must present one of a limited set of forms of government-issued photo ID in order to vote. Again, if this is an issue, then on National Black Voter Day, groups should canvass neighborhoods and do the work necessary to help these people get the required identification.
The constant suggestion that minorities are “less likely to have driver’s licenses because they are poor and live in urban areas,” is insulting and condescending. The same article titled “Why Do Many Minorities Lack ID?” from Slate.com, insist minorities may be more likely to have lost their driver’s license due to suspension or revocation and that almost half of suspended driver’s licenses were due to failure to pay outstanding fines. So, they had a driver’s license, but lost it due to some sort of traffic violation, even though earlier in the article it is stated that minorities are less likely to have driver’s license because they are poor and live in urban areas. You can’t loss something if supposedly you’re too poor to get it in the first place. Again, with all the issues presented in the article, National Black Voter Day should be the vehicle to provide solutions to these problems. More importantly, the day should be focused on those people with a true desire to vote.
In total I do not believe that requiring a proper form of ID is an effort to suppress the vote of any group of people. Showing up to vote not knowing what form of ID is required tells me a great deal about you as a voter. If for whatever reason, you were not able to vote in the 2020 election, you have had 2 years to get those issues resolved.
Ultimately, in my opinion, voter fraud, which is what most states want to prevent, is the biggest threat to all of our right to vote and the right to having our votes count. When you show up to the booth and cast your vote, where does that vote go? Does it really get “counted”? Who “counts” it? How do you know it was counted? 2016 and 2020 shed light on voter fraud. Whether by outside entities (Russian collusion), or insiders such as Mark Zuckerberg and his “Zuckerbucks” used in Wisconsin in 2020, our senses should be on high alert as we enter these upcoming mid-term elections. The democrat party with help from the MSM will do everything to distract us, forcing our eyes on the “issue” of voter suppression when the real issue and workings behind the curtain will be voter fraud. The playbook has already been handed out and in a few short weeks the game will begin. I want to be wrong about this, but I believe, the hoped for “red wave” is in jeopardy because of upcoming voter fraud.