Letters, January 12 2012

Re: Voter ID Law

After reading the Letter to the Editor “Voter ID Law,” [Dec. 30, 2011] I felt compelled to respond.

The comments made by Ralph P. Edwards as Chair of the League of Women Voter’s Voter Service Committee, is just another example of the close connection that the League has to the Democrat Party.

Indeed they state they are “non-partisan,” yet in practice, they take political positions, and the media is the vehicle used to further their advocacy. And it is well known that the media is biased and their agenda is to promote the Liberal philosophy of the Democrat Party.

The biased media I was referring to was TV and radio.

Actually, the decision by the federal attorney general declaring the Voter ID Law in violation of the laws of the United States should be renounced. All citizens should be assured the right to vote.

 Voter fraud is rampant in our country. South Carolina is not exempt. The procedure passed by the South Carolina General Assembly attempted to secure that the vote was not fraudulent. Requiring a form of photo is not restrictive. You must show proper ID at school functions, for cashing a check, for renting a car, for being on welfare, or Medicare, or Medicaid, for getting assistance at a hospital, for getting a driver’s license – and the list goes on. All legal residents should have the right to vote in a legal manner and they should be assured that fraud has not occurred and they have not lost the value of their vote to theft. More than a dozen other states have approved new voting laws that require government approved photo ID’s in an attempt to stop voter fraud. Why not South Carolina?
 
Sadly, The League of Women Voters does not have voter fraud as a priority. Mr. Edwards states that they, the League, hopes there is a big voter turnout. Just how many of these voters have the legal right to vote and to what degree will voter fraud take place? But I guess that’s not important.

Judith T. Clarke
Murrells Inlet
President of the Georgetown County Republican Women’s Club




“Patriocracy” film set
Political dysfunction and polarization have brought American politics to historic lows. As we enter this coming election year the poisonous rhetoric may be reaching an all-time high. Does this turn you off participating in the primary? Will you be discouraged from voting in the general election?

The League of Women Voters has a 92-year history of breaking down barriers to voter participation. As a non-partisan political organization, the League encourages the active participation of all citizens in government. But when the public is disillusioned by smear campaigns, sensationalized stories, and media sound bites rather than substance, the very foundations of democratic government are shaken.

The League of Women Voters of South Carolina, partnering with the national League of Women Voters, invites everyone to a special free screening of “Patriocracy,” a new, critically-acclaimed documentary that drills down to the roots of political polarization and offers sound solutions to move beyond it. The film features an A-list of Washington personalities including former Senator Alan Simpson, former Congressman Bob Inglis, Bob Schieffer (CBS News), Eleanor Clift (Newsweek/McLaughlin Group), Ken Rudin (NPR), Senator Mark Warner, Senator Kent Conrad and many more.

Brian Malone, the film's producer and five-time Emmy Award winner, will introduce the film in person. After the film there will be a panel discussion, moderated by Elisabeth MacNamara, national president of the League of Women Voters. Panelists include former US Rep. John M. Spratt, Jr., USC School of Journalism and Mass Communication Dean and former CNN senior correspondent Charles Bierbauer, Greater Columbia Community Relations Council Interim Director Lee Catoe, filmmaker Brian Malone, and others.

Save Wednesday evening, January 18 at 6 p.m., and see the film being shown at Greater Columbia Chamber of Commerce Auditorium, 930 Richland St., in downtown Columbia.


Barbara Zia, Co-president, League of Women Voters of South Carolina
Mt. Pleasant

Susan Richards, VP Program, League of Women Voters of South Carolina
Charleston