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Thread ID: 60043	2005-07-20 22:15:00	US Laws Are A Little Different:	SurferJoe46 (51)	PC World Chat

Post ID	Timestamp	Content	User
373972	2005-07-20 22:15:00	The concept that a state in the US can override a decision that has been codified and enforced thru the constitution or Supreme Court seems strange to most people in other countries . I have seen some amazement here (F1) about inequal law enforcement and minority rights and such . I have a medium-short article about a decision and enactment of law in the state of Georgia, here in the US . <this article IS, however an editorial, not a legal statement . . the law will be tried in court to see if it's legal, but until that time, the law bears pondus> Georgia has passed a disturbing new law that bars people from voting without government-issued photo identification and seems primarily focused on putting up obstacles for black and poor voters . The (US) Justice Department is now weighing whether the law violates the Voting Rights Act . Clearly it does, and it should be blocked from taking effect . The new law's supporters claim that it is an attempt to reduce voter fraud, but Secretary of State Cathy Cox has said she cannot recall a single case during her tenure when anyone impersonated a voter . In the same period, she says, there have been numerous allegations of fraud involving absentee ballots . But the Georgia Legislature has passed a law that focuses on voter identification while actually making absentee ballots more prone to misuse . The new law will make it harder for elderly Georgians to vote as well . It has been estimated that more than 150,000 older Georgians who voted in the 2004 presidential election do not have driver's licenses, and are unlikely to have other acceptable forms of identification . According to census data, black Georgians are far less likely to have access to a car than white Georgians, so they are at a distinct disadvantage when driver's licenses have an important role in proving people's eligibility to vote . Under the (US) Voting Rights Act, Georgia's law must be cleared by the (US) Justice Department before it can take effect . There can be little doubt that the law would have "the effect of denying or abridging the right to vote on account of race," and it therefore must be rejected . But in the current (US) Justice Department, there is a real danger that this decision will be based on politics rather than law . [Me here: this is because the Republicans control the majority of Congress and the US Justice Department thru appointments] . Georgia's new identification requirement is part of a nationwide drive to erect barriers at the polls . Indiana also recently passed a new photo-identification requirement, and several other states, including Ohio, are considering the addition of such requirements . There are many steps states can take to reduce election fraud . But laws that condition voting on having a particular piece of identification that many eligible voters do not possess have no place in a democracy . Please bear in mind that Georgia, mostly black and underprivileged and uneducated coal miners and plot farmers is mostly Democratic (the party, not the concept) and that this is a strange concept coming from such a socialist orientated state to even bring to law . The very people who vote there are now voting a major Democratic block, and denying them the vote will take a lot of percentage points out of the Democratic power base . The Democratic party is mostly Socialist and of the mind that welfare with cradle-to-grave handouts are the natural way of life for everyone . They are mostly a "tax and spend" mentality, and in opposition, the Republican Party is just the opposite (hyper-fundamentalist, non-radical, conservative and big business orientated) . I do not know if NZ has a constitution modeled after the US style or not . . . but this is interesting reading . . and a little insight to the US way . See what a strange place the US is? :waughh:	SurferJoe46 (51)
373973	2005-07-21 02:04:00	Thanks Joe, very interesting. Seems an odd law driven by the absence of any form of national identity card. So far as I can remember, we just present ourselves at the voting booth, say our name which is duely recorded, and vote. No ID required. Fraud is rare. We do not have a written Constitution. Instead we have a Bill of Rights Act 1990 which guarantees certain freedoms against government. It is not sacrosanct and can be changed at any time, but it is politically sensitive so isn't tampered with. Additionally we also have the Bill of Rights Act 1689(UK) and the Magna Carta 1297(UK). Our constitution is made up of centuries of development of laws. Also Parliamentary conventions and rules. The benefit is that constitutional issues are fluid and can be expanded and changed by the courts and the legislature over time. The downside is that there isn't exactly one simple set of rules which everyone can pick up and read. Furthermore the rules can be changed by a judge or majority of polititians.	Winston001 (3612)
373974	2005-07-21 02:38:00	Actually, there is a form of national id card in the form of one's Social Security Card . This was started a long time ago . . . and some people read into the numbering system that it was the "Mark of the Beast" in the Bible book of Revelation . There was a period when the cards were issued with the phrase "Not To Be Used As A Source Of Identification" on them . Mine that I was issued is one of those . As the years passed, ID's were getting more important, and to eliminate draftable young males from escaping their military duty, the ID they issued them was a draft ID that looked like a Social Security card, and was also called a "SS" card, but it stood for "Selective Service" As I entered the US Navy, I was issued another number . . . my Military ID Number, and here I was one of the last to be issued one of them too . Right after my enlistment, the military started using the old Social Security numbers as ID numbers . That caused a lot of flak and heat from the Bible thumpers, but they were outyelled by the government . The SS numbers stayed . Now the latest thing is the driver's licenses . It seems that the illegal aliens here in the US want their legal right to a driver's license, so they can use it as an ID card . Actually, there is no "Illegal Aliens' Civil Rights Act" to which they run, but the socialists say that if they get a driver's license, they will then get insurance The mandatory insurance laws . . . (get this) . . cannot be enforced upon these "Illegal Aliens" because they don't legally exist, and are exempt from the law . If they don't have insurance now, what makes anyone think they'll get it then? The legal resident and natural citizen is saddled with buying "Uninsured Motorists Insurance Protection" for a fierce price to our already high insurance policies . Ah well . . . it is another subject entirely . . .	SurferJoe46 (51)
373975	2005-07-21 04:49:00	..and some people read into the numbering system that it was the "Mark of the Beast" in the Bible book of Revelation. My Library card has '666' in it, get some strange looks from librarians sometimes when they scan it. :waughh:	MartynC (5610)
373976	2005-07-21 05:56:00	That's funny . . . from a librarian too . They should be the first to know that the "666" is the number 6 (earthly imperfection) multiplied times 3 for emphasis . I guess they don't read the books they check out anyway . It's not like a secret code or anything . . . it's the way the people of the scriptural times knew to express themselves . There are all sorts of reasons why people get that wrong idea . . . but that too, is another off the point subject .	SurferJoe46 (51)
373977	2005-07-21 06:58:00	Hey Winston. You forgot to say that we do have to be on the Electoral Roll to vote -rather than just turn up & give our name. (That would be fun for the staff - writing it all down on the day) But to be enrolled, we provide only name, address, age & occupation, as I recall. No pix, thank heavens.	Laura (43)
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