Protect America by Protecting Common Sense

[R. Nachael Howell-Foster]

There are certain things that I hold sacred and I want to protect.  I hold the right to free speech to be sacred but I realize that such right comes with the responsibility of not falsely yelling fire in a crowded theater.   I value my God given personal right to be a mother to my three daughters, but I realize that this right may be taken away by the government if I do not follow certain rules, which seem like common sense to most.  However, as I have learned during my volunteer appointment to the Tarrant County Child Protective Services Board, not everyone follows what appears to most to be common sense rules when it comes to maintaining a right.

Take the debate over Voter ID requirements in many states.  Very few would even attempt to argue that there is not a right to vote in the United States of America.  However, there are some that believe that such right should not come with some common sense rules.  Most people see the common sense approach in requiring a valid government issued ID to buy alcoholic beverages but some of these same people scoff at the notion of requiring the same type of ID for the right to vote.  Instead of seeing the presentation of a government issued ID as a common sense approach to protecting a right, some people argue that Voter ID requirements are a means to suppress the minority vote.  If studies show that it is more difficult for minorities to get a government issued ID then it should seem to be more difficult for minorities to buy alcoholic beverages.  The correlation should be simple.  Yet, studies point to a higher incidence of alcoholism in minority populations in the United States.

We should follow the common sense approach to the real issues raised by the studies regarding the lack of government issued IDs in minority communities.  Most jobs in the United States require a government issued ID and a social security card. If studies are accurate and almost 25% of African American do not have a government issued ID in order for them to vote then, almost 25% of African Americans do not have a government issued ID that would be required for them to work at most jobs in the United States.

I want to protect the right to vote and the right to work.  But, most of all I want to protect common sense when it comes to protecting the integrity of our legal system.  Laws should be made that are designed to protect those that do the right things in life.  Laws should not be designed to make it easier for people to fail to use common sense.