Forced to pay attention to the 2014 midterm elections due to Texas' voter suppression efforts, the issue stirred up some interesting analysis that might get over looked by more "responsible" media outlets. Last evening during a brainstorming session, it came to mind that more attention is being paid to the value of the vote and little to the value of the voter.
Lost in the fury of the apparent disenfranchisement of hundreds of thousands of Texans is the fact that many of those being required to meet new stricter voter identification rules and "regulations" could be considered irresponsible for not having some valid form of identification in the first place. One has to ask, what type of life can a responsible and well informed adult be living without basic identification.
After all, isn't that the type of people we want casting a vote? Without proper valid identification, you can't do very much in this country. And you damn sure can't get out of the United States or return without it. Without I.D. you can't drive a car, rent a car, travel by plane, take a cruise, buy a beer, get into a club or order a drink in a bar. What kinda life is that?
Without I.D., you can't get most jobs, buy a house or rent an apartment without someone wanting to confirm who you are. You can't establish credit, turn on your utilities or open a savings/checking account without identification. Hell, you can't even cash a check in a your neighborhood check cashing rip off joint without having to produce proof of identity.
In some communities, you may need identification to prove who you're not, as much as you need it to prove who you are. How'd you like to spend a weekend in your local lockup because you "fit the description" and could provide no proof to the contrary. That's just the way it is!
Maintaining current acceptable forms of identification in the 21st century is essential to basic survival. To exist in this country these days without establishing and maintaining the very basics, is to live on the margins of society.
No matter what one's socioeconomic condition, by the age of 18 one should consider obtaining valid identification a top priority and should never leave home without it. If, by one's mid twenties, one has yet to obtain the basics, one might be on one's way to being a life long loser!
Bottom line: There is no doubt, despicable elements within the Republican Party feel so threatened by and unappealing to certain demographics, that voter suppression tactics must be employed to remain competitive. However, the type of voters finding themselves victimized by such tactics, are unlikely to be responsible and well informed constituents anyway.
In many cases, such voters are unlikely to know who's on the ballot, what the candidate's positions are on the issues or even if the issues being contested are issues pertinent to them. Any vote cast by such a voter, is as worthless as the vote itself.