Puppets in the Voting Booth

The great civil rights leader Cesar Chavez said: “…we don’t need perfect political systems; we need perfect participation.” The right to choose one’s representatives in the voting booth is the linchpin of a free society; without which, it is impossible to exercise other rights. Without a meaningful vote, there can be no equality before the law, no equal access, no equal opportunity.
As the November election draws near, thousands of Americans will be going to cast their ballot in support of their preferred presidential candidate.  However, out of fear that Obama may be re-elected, the Romney administration has resolved to foul play. After a revolution to establish a representative government, battles, suffrage movements, and numerous demonstrations, our hard earned right to vote may once again be in danger.  Voter suppression acts imposed by the Republican Party may prevent as many as thousands of people from participating in the 2012 elections.
Under the pretense of preventing voter fraud, right wing politicians have passed laws which make voting for certain groups harder.  By targeting minorities, older voters, blacks, hispanics, active duty military and young voters in states such as Florida, Kansas, Mississippi, and South Carolina, the Republicans hope to help Romney win the presidency.  By deterring people from voting, Romney would more likely win important swing states.
When interviewed by the “Huffington Post”, civil rights activist and politician, Reverend Jesse Jackson commented, “You could win the debates and lose the elections based on the level of shameless thievery”.
Has the schism between our two political parties become so large that people have devolved to cheating in the elections?  As a nation, the United States has encouraged its citizens to participate in the government and exercise their right to vote.  We cannot at the same time prevent people from doing so. Although some may not agree with the outcome of the elections, the widespread suppression of people’s votes will leave consequences that will last far longer than a four-year term.
The current situation in the United States has an eerie parallel to the civil rights movement.  During the 1960’s, high voting taxes were imposed as an attempt to prevent African Americans from voting. Similar to those taxes, some states require voters to have government IDs costing up to $300.  These high rates are deterring lower middle class members and young people, most of which are Democrats, from voting.
In the words of the former Florida Governor, Charlie Crist, “Cynical efforts at voter suppression are driven by an un-American desire to exclude as many people and silence as many voices as possible. Our country has never solved anything with less democracy, and we’re far better off when more citizens can access the polls — no matter which party mobilizes the most voters to them”.
It is essential for our democracy that the right to vote be protected for all people.  It doesn’t matter which side is doing it. Voter suppression diminishes our democracy for everyone. The forces in favor of the “voter ID laws” would be better served to earn peoples’ votes rather than suppressing them.