Questionable Morality Amongst Pennsylvania Republicans

Posted Jul 17 2012 by Tony Campolo with 29 Comments

Pennsylvanias Voter Id Law 22812

    Not all Republicans are evil, but the leadership of the Republican Party in the state of Pennsylvania has questionable morality. With a Republican governor and a Republican Legislature a bill was passed that requires all voters in the November election to have some government-issued photo ID. Generally that means a driver’s license. Since 18 percent of the voters in the city of Philadelphia do not have a driver’s license or another form of photo ID, they are likely to be kept out of the voting booths. When it’s time to vote for a president, this will, of course, take the franchise away from a large segment of the population that is elderly, poor, and young. Though written by the state legislature, the Republican legislature and the Republican governor did not even try to conceal the real reasons for passing the legislation.

    The head of the Republican Party, reporting at a Party convention, declared, as viewed on television, that the new legislation would guarantee that the state of Pennsylvania would belong to Mitt Romney in November. He made no attempt to conceal the fact that the purpose of the law was to take the franchise away from certain groups of people, especially Hispanic and African-American voters of the city of Philadelphia. Over all, in the state, 9.2 percent of registered voters lack photo ID. Statewide, approximately 758,000 voters will be turned away at the polls on Election Day, and there is no need to point out that the glee evidenced by both the head of the Republican Party in the state of Pennsylvania was over the fact that a significant majority of those voters will be Democrats. Unless the state Supreme Court does something to interfere with the legislation, it is likely that Pennsylvania, which both parties admit is a crucial swing state, will be in Romney’s column the day after the elections in November.

    Red Letter Christians are not supposed to be political, but it is hard to not express righteous indignation as to what Governor Corbett and his Republican legislature has done to poor minority groups in our state. It should be noted that there was almost no voter fraud in the state of Pennsylvania in the last election. As a matter of interest, there were only four reported cases of voter fraud, and in each of those cases those who were accused were proven to be innocent. Thus, this destroys any excuse that the law was passed in order to do away with voter fraud.

    In contrast, there is some good news coming out of the state of Michigan. The Republican legislature of that state endeavored to pull off the same stunt as was pulled off by the Pennsylvania Republicans. However, the Republican governor in Michigan vetoed the bill for moral reasons. Rick Snyder, the governor of Michigan, surprised his fellow Republicans by refusing to sign the kind of bill that has taken the franchise away from so many Pennsylvania voters. It is encouraging to see a Republican governor put moral values above party politics.

    —
    Tony Campolo is the Founder and President of EAPE and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University. Look for Tony in your area and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.

    Photo Credit: senatorhughes.com

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      Tony Campolo

      Tony CampoloTony Campolo is the Founder and President of EAPE and Professor Emeritus of Sociology at Eastern University. Look for Tony in your area and follow him on Facebook and Twitter.View all posts by Tony Campolo →

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      • jenifer

        In Iowa there is known, rampant voter fraud. And it is not at the hands of republicans. Our secretary of state and others are working to stop this. To ask that American citizens prove their citizenship is not too much to ask nor is it morally objectionable. With a history of dead people, unregistered people voting in many states, valid ID is not too much to ask! I have a sister who is 35 and mentally handicapped. She has a non-drivers license ID that cost a very small amount of money. Others can afford the same.

      • Anonymous

        Thank you so very much for speaking about this. It is hard to believe that fellow Christians will disapprove of your post, but I suppose some will.
        If this passes, Christian people should volunteer to go door to door with information that will help people access voter identification cards. Where do I sign up?

        • http://www.facebook.com/c.conradmartin Conrad Martin

          I disapprove of his post, but I also respect and honor those, like yourself, who volunteer to help others gain access to voter ID cards.

      • http://twitter.com/JeffLorow Jeff Lorow

        Really? THIS is what you tweeted as “evil”? There are tons of things you can’t do without photo ID – things much less serious that choosing the country’s future leaders. Why wouldn’t we require a voter to prove they are who they say they are?

        • cathy

          Yes this is evil and if you can’t see it you need to open your eyes.

          • http://twitter.com/JeffLorow Jeff Lorow

            I’m sorry, but this is an issue where we should be able to say to the other side “I understand your point, but I disagree” without labelling opposition as “evil.” I see and understand Tony’s position, but I believe that the risk of voter fraud outweighs the cost of disenfranchisement. If the state will provide free non-driver ID’s then those who are disenfranchised are those posing as somebody else.

          • Steevo

            Not being able to buy malt liquor w/o photo ID is EVIL. Did the Republicans do that? Why can’t I board a plane w/o photo ID? That’s downright EVIL! Picking the next president of a global superpower w/o any form of ID–what’s the harm in that?

      • Kenton

        I can’t comment on the Pennsylvania law, but we “evil” Texans are trying to enact a similar law in our own state. In the Texas law, the DPS will issue a photo ID at no cost to anyone who qualifies to vote. Indeed, if a cost were involved, it would constitute a de facto (and unconstitutional) poll tax. Which is why I have to believe no cost is required for the ID in PA either.

        Jennifer is right, voter fraud is rampant. Texas is the home of ballot box 13. Voter fraud is evil, even though it tends to help Democrats win. Fighting efforts to curtail it is also evil.

      • Drew

        I see your argument Tony in that voter fraud is largely a boogeyman that does not exist. Anybody can look at the statistics and see this for themselves. I also know that a few Republicans do see it as an opportunity to help their candidates win by disenfranchising likely Democratic voters.

        However, I think that 1) They give elections even more integrity and 2) This is not a burden. Even if there are only a handful of cases of fraud a year, there are probably some cases that are not caught, and this will help eliminate all cases of voter fraud. Also, is this really disenfranchisement when you already have the ID or can get the necessary ID for free?

        If people are really concerned, they should be doing voter drives and help people get the free IDs.

      • Dennis

        $13.50 for a photo ID card… Plenty of these folks have iPhones and Satellite TV in Penn. Calling the Repubs evil because they ask everyone to spend $13.50 on an ID card is extreme. I’m not a republican and I wish people would actually tell the truth so we could solve issues instead of the continuous name calling and BS arguments from both sides.

        • Dennis
        • Drew

          Actually, if you say that you need the card to vote, you can get an ID for free in any state. If they charged you a fee it would be unconstitutional (poll tax).

          • Dennis

            That may be true, but it’s a red herring argument that any kind of ID requirement is disenfranchising anyone.

            • Drew

              A monetary requirement would in fact disenfranchise people and we have a constitutional amendment against it. Otherwise, you are correct.

              • Dennis

                Monetary requirements don’t stop the poor from buying cell phones and iPods, cigs and OE 800. Let’s cut the bull. This is why so many of our problems are left unsolved. Lack of honesty!!!!

      • Brendon Pennington

        I think it’s funny you started your post with, “Not all Republicans are
        evil, BUT …” C’mon Tony, that’s like a backhanded compliment hah. What
        if I started a blog post with, “Not all black people are evil, BUT …”

        Poor word choice there, sir

        • http://profiles.google.com/bill.j.green William Green

          Excellent point, Brendon. You are so very correct. Tony is smarter than this and normally knows much better.

        • http://www.facebook.com/americanrosie Rosie Riveter

          “Not all Republicans are evil…” stood out like like a donkey in a herd of elephants! LOL

      • KCSteve

        The outrage around this issue is not whether having a voter ID card is a good idea or a bad idea. The outrage comes from the fact that the ONLY reason the Republicans around the country are proposing this is to discourage groups of people from voting. These groups are typically composed of the elderly, the poor and minorities. Groups which tend to vote for the Democratic Party. If these groups largely voted Republican, none of these voter ID proposals would exist. Its not about protecting the integrity of the vote, or weeding out voter fraud. Also, voter fraud is NOT an issue in Iowa. Its ONLY about disenfranchise your political opponents.

      • Caroline

        I agree that the choice of the words “evil” is a bit overbearing in regards to the nature of the argument – generally I believe it to be overbearing in the regards of judging any particular person or group, in that it appears to condemn.

        I think there are two ways of looking at this argument. It’s unfortunate that the subject was raised under the pretense of marginalizing groups of people for political and thus power gain. Yes, this motivation seems to challenge any morality that the responsible party may claim.

        However, why don’t those groups have government issued IDs? Does being poor prevent someone from needing such identification? Or elderly? I would think not. And further, I believe that with the support of what people have previously mentioned in that you’re able to obtain one for free for the purposes of voting, I believe it’s reasonable to expect any state to require validation of citizenship and age (the only two things I can think of that limit voting rights) in order to prevent fraud. Tony’s pretenses are deplorable, but the idea is sound in reason.

      • http://profiles.google.com/bill.j.green William Green

        Voter fraud exists. There are documented instances of dead people, illegal immigrants, dogs, and ineligible felons voting (see links below).

        But there is something cynically hypocritical behind the argument that people should NOT be required to exhibit evidence of their eligibility to legally vote, when with the passage of the new Obamanation Tax — SCOTUS ruled so — virtually everyone has to prove to President Obama, via the IRS, they are INSURED or face paying an EXTRA TAX! And those who will receive government subsidies toward their health insurance will CERTAINLY have to produce some kind of ID in order to receive them.

        There is also something insidiously condescending and patronizing about suggesting that Democrats are somehow less capable of obtaining bona fide photo IDs than Republicans. Or that poor people are less able than middle class or rich people. Or that Blacks and Hispanics are LESS CAPABLE than White folk. These are partyist, classist and racist attitudes.

        Virtually everyone who collects a government check (and currently 48.5% of American households do), banks, obtains senior discounts, possesses a credit card, has a passport, drinks alcohol in public establishments, attends a school or college, drives, votes in a union hall, shows up to hear Attorney General Eric “Fast & Furious” Holder speak, etc., has to obtain and present an ID to do so. Why should it be any different for something so important as voting? It should NOT!

        Democrats, the elderly, the young, Blacks, and Hispanics have to do virtually the same things as Republicans, many of whom are elderly, young, and some of whom are Black and Hispanic. They have proven their capabilities in grade school, college, grad school, the workplace, the Church, government, and business. Why should it be any different in the voting booth?

        It is time to STOP discriminating against people for the purposes of voting on the basis of party affiliation, age, gender, race, ethnicity, creed, or sexual orientation. Homosexuals can acquire IDs as well as heterosexuals, Christians as well as Jews, a 65-year old as well as an 18-year old, women as well as men, a Black as well as an Hispanic or White, and a Democrat as well as a Republican.

        The beautiful thing about our Constitutional Rule of Law Republic is that the laws apply equally to everyone. No one is above the law, nor beneath it. It is time we once AGAIN begin to APPLY and ENFORCE the law equally to everyone and NOT discriminate on any basis.

        Finally, “City Commissioner Al Schmidt, the sole Republican on the board that
        oversees Philadelphia elections, announced that an investigation of the
        April primary found evidence of voting irregularity and fraud – and that
        the new law could have helped prevent such problems.”

        http://articles.philly.com/2012-07-18/news/32731283_1_penndot-id-voter-id-law-voter-fraud

        http://www.wnd.com/2012/07/dead-dogs-for-obama/

        http://townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2012/07/10/naacp_requires_photo_id_to_see_holder_speak

        http://latino.foxnews.com/latino/politics/2012/05/17/53k-dead-people-on-florida-voter-rolls/

        http://www.onenewsnow.com/Politics/Default.aspx?id=1572452&fb_comment_id=fbc_10150693694373929_21667994_10150694726678929#fe03da4e23fb7e

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P5p70YbRiPw

        http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gkUKOSnv2zY

      • Michelle

        This article is perfect! Thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!

      • http://www.facebook.com/markwcole Mark Cole

        Doesn’t the Bible say that we all like sheep have gone astray, each of us has gone his/her own way? So Democrats and Republicans are equally evil! Who would the non-evil Republican be?

      • just me

        Not all posts by Tony Campolo on the “Red Letter Christian” site are idiotic, but…

      • keith

        LOL when does the liberal nonsense end?? All states have FREE paperwork for proper ID to vote. Your argument is null and void as the majority, if not all, of these people obviously find a way to get where ever they want to go..ie: free food ID, free utility money, free CELL PHONE service/phones, free daycare (they dont even have to work for this one), free medical ID, etc, etc, etc, The bottom line is that they have 364 days in a year to get where they need to go and they CAN obtain what they need. To say they are being inconvenienced is a slap in the face of every family who gave their husband, son, daughter, grandfather, grandmother, or friends for their RIGHT to sit there and complain…..What an ungrateful, irrereverant, unrealistic, selfish article……..and Oh yeah…I disagree with you.
        As for no voter fraud……………Well you really show your lack of understanding and knowledge on this subject by your comments. Ever heard of ACORN???? for one? and perpetrated by YOUR party for YOUR candidate.

      • http://www.facebook.com/markwcole Mark Cole

        Doonesbury was about this issue today: http://www.gocomics.com/doonesbury/2012/07/23

      • http://www.facebook.com/americanrosie Rosie Riveter

        people need to get a little more educated before throwing around ignorant beliefs. http://www.electionintegrityproject.com/

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