Dateline, January 23, 1964. Does that ring a bell? It is the date of ratification of the 24th amendment which prohibited poll taxes during federal elections, and was later extended to all elections. The poll tax was instituted to deny blacks the right to vote during reconstruction era in the south. This was among the many discriminatory practices during and in the aftermath of slavery in America.

After the voting rights and civil right acts were passed, black Americans were rightfully proud and eager to exercise their constitutional rights, and did so diligently. Enjoying the ability to express oneself in the public square and to redress grievances with the government became a central focus of the family, second only to faith in God, as the pathway to true freedom. While this activity was new to the community, the importance of the activity was cherished, and great care was taken to ensure the sanctity of every vote. It was considered a high honor to fulfill this American birthright. After having endured the onerous weight of slavery and the debilitating assault on their humanity, the struggle for identity was imperative to blacks in post-war America.

So now, you,  the same people who braved the most wicked atrocities which can be perpetuated by one human to another, are being told and led to believe that obtaining an identification card in order to vote, the one activity your relatives died for, is too much of a burden to bear. This is not only nonsensical, but insulting to the memories of those who sacrificed all and an absolute affront on the intelligence of citizens today. This lie is being offered by politicians and interest groups for the sole purpose of winning an election and/or obtaining and retaining power over gullible citizens.

What they fail to leave out of their diatribe, is the fact that you have already obtained identification to accomplish the basic functions of regular daily life. Banking, airline travel, establishing utility accounts and even some retail purchases require you prove your age via government issued ID. You are being told that to obtain the same document in order to vote is the same as returning to the slave plantations of the past and the process to acquire an ID is much too burdensome if not impossible to undertake. Did they forget the cost in most cases is zero, and transportation to the appropriate offices for same is also available, by the same government they say wants to continue your oppression? It is appalling the lengths some will go to for their own personal aggrandizement.

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