By:  Timothy Sutton, Communications Editor

Naturalized citizens are often eager to participate in the American electoral process. Casting a vote as an American is a symbolic break from their former government and represents a step further towards assimilation into American society.

Many Americans choose not to exercise their voting rights; in fact just over half of this country turns out to vote during presidential election years and a pathetic one-third of the country during mid-term elections.

As the 2012 elections draw near, incumbent politicians have stooped to new lows to retain their power.  In un-American fashion, both Pennsylvania and Texas, symbolically patriotic states, have attempted to pass laws curtailing voting rights to citizens without valid photo identification. The result, polarizing decisions from a state court in Pennsylvania, which upheld the restriction under their state constitution, whereas the federal court struck down a similar law from Texas in violation of the federal Voter Rights Act.

Q. What justification does the state that is home to the Liberty Bell have for excluding voters?

A. Fraud?  Pennsylvania State Senator Corman voted against the bill saying “I wasn’t going to vote to put a roadblock before voters without any credible evidence of a problem…If someone can show me some evidence, I’m happy to consider it.” Pennsylvania Senator McIlhinney, called the potential photo requirement a “security check.” Opponents of the law suspect foul play, insisting the bill will only hurt the youth, elderly, and minority vote, all demographics that historically vote for the Democratic Party.

Are these new laws akin to security checkpoints? Do they target immigrants, low-income families, and minorities? Middle class Anglo-Americans will not face many barriers obtaining the identification necessary to participate in the political electoral process. But those who do not speak English, have recently become citizens, and have no driver’s license will likely be prevented from exercising their right to vote.

Historically, the right to vote was held by well to do, Caucasian Americans. When the Fifteenth Amendment was passed our voting rights were made clear: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude.” Yet in 1869, literacy tests, poll taxes, hiding the locations of the polls, economic pressures, and threats of physical violence were employed to prevent African-Americans and poor Caucasians from voting. The Nineteenth Amendment gave women the right to vote and the Twenty Fourth Amendment prevented the use of poll taxes to discriminate against poor and minority voters. Finally, the Twenty Sixth Amendment lowered the voting age to eighteen. After three Constitutional Amendments and over 143 years since the bullying techniques of 1869, America is sinking backward into the quicksand of tyranny. The arbitrary abuse of state power used to prevent citizens of a certain race, age or class from exercising their most coveted freedom is unconscionable. Voter ID laws are no more than Show Me Your Papers 2.0, another fractionalizing policy born out of fear and ignorance.

VOTING IS A FUNDAMENTAL RIGHT, NOT A PRIVILEGE.  Nothing is more fundamental to our democracy than the right to vote.

Look up your polling locations:  http://www.vote411.org/enter-your-address?dest=voting-dossier#.UFiWz1Gf98E