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Voter ID, Booze, and Guns... the Compromise Solution
by Neale Osborn
[email protected]

Attribute to L. Neil Smith's The Libertarian Enterprise

I've written about this many times over the years in comments. This time, though, it's in an article I can link to. But first, a brief note for all my fellow Libertarians.

I do not support the concept of government issued Identification papers, cards, or numbers. I despise them. A person's word should be their bond, and it pisses me off all the things I cannot do without presenting "the proper paperwork" or "valid ID". That being said, we live in a time when it IS necessary, not legitimately so, but if you want to operate in today's society, to have said ID. This is my offered solution to the problems outlined below. It is ALSO my solution to "Legal Age" issues.

Voter Fraud, or ID to vote.

Firearm registration and licensing laws, and their differences across the country.

Drinking age and ID for same.

Getting minorities to be able to more fully participate in the "American Way of Life".

And now, the reasoning behind the problems:

Democrats despise the idea of presenting ID to vote. They call it racist, they claim it disenfranchises minorities, they call it a poll tax, they give a lot of reasons to oppose it. Their claim is it's too expensive, they can't get to wherever it's issued, and they have a whole host of other reasons to fight it. The Republicans demand it to fight voter fraud- multiple votes by one person, voting by unregistered voters, and voting by dead people and illegal aliens, er, "undocumented workers". They use as proof entire voting districts where not one single vote is cast for a Republican, 44,000 people registered to vote in two different states, and votes by illegal aliens who have no right to vote.

Democrats are demanding registration of firearms to "keep guns out of the wrong hands". I'm not even going to address the entire anti-Constitutionality of this concept, that's for another article :^P They think we must limit and license this Constitutional right to a select few who have met an incredible range of requirements. Most Republicans oppose registration (correctly) as the prelude to confiscation. And they oppose licenses (again, correctly) as a method to deny an enumerated right to American citizens.

BOTH sides are all for limiting the age at which people can drink, while totally ignoring the entire partial citizenship nature of alcohol, gun possession/purchasing/carrying and gambling laws. IF you are a citizen at 18, who can vote and be enslaved (drafted) to fight and die for your country, why the FUCK can you not exercise your Constitutional right to buy, own, and carry handguns or buy yourself an alcoholic beverage? The claim is that 18 year olds are not mature enough to own a pistol or drink a beer. But they ARE smart enough, mature enough, to vote for the idiot with his finger on the nuclear trigger, and the idiots who give him money and laws to enable him to do so. Huh??

Last, minorities need to be enabled to participate in modern society to "eliminate racism". But obtaining ID to vote is unConstitutional!!! Of course, the same people who claim this is unConstitutional are the same people who demand WE present ID in order to exercise another enumerated right- owning guns. The funniest thing is, the people who claim ID to vote is unConstitutional AND who claim it is racist and exclusionary to require this have NO problem excluding minorities from participating in the REST of American society, where ID is mandatory to have a bank account, drive a car, own a LEGAL gun, buy cigarettes, alcohol, get a credit card, or buy a house. I guess dem darkies is allowed to vote, but not do anything ELSE in American society. Can you say 3/5ths?

So now, I shall solve ALL these problems at once. Because I am a genius.

TO the solution!

(For convenience, I shall use the masculine pronoun in this dissertation, though it pertains to all- male, female, or transgender, and to ALL races, creeds, and denominations)

When an American citizen reaches the age of majority, (where they can vote, and are considered to be citizens) which is currently 18 years of age, they can, if they so desire, go to the town hall of their town and register to vote. At this time, obtain their voter's ID. The charge for this ID can be no higher than the physical cost to print and laminate the ID, and this same cost is the cost to replace worn or lost IDs later. For the sake of argument, let's say $10. He can elect, for another $10, to have a NICS check run on him to prove he has a clean criminal record. This ID will have his photograph, a thumbprint (right if present, left if not), address, and age. When you move, the ID is updated for free, when you register to vote in your new district.

When you go to vote, you present your ID, the proctor verifies the photo, maybe even check the print, and then let you vote. You use this ID to buy beer, whine, or hard liquor. You use it to buy a gun. Long or hand, makes no difference. And you use it to prove your identity when you enlist in the military. And ALL of these things are done at the same age- the age you become a citizen, 18 today.

When you go to purchase a gun, you choose your 1911 (okay, so I like the 1911- sue me!), give your ID to the clerk. He ascertains you match the ID. He calls the phone number he has for gun sales, and verifies that A- the ID is valid, B- you are not currently under indictment for a disqualifying felony, and C- you are not currently a fugitive. He does NOT tell what gun you are buying, how many you are buying, or any other info. he receives the approval, and you buy the gun and leave- carrying your purchase, openly or concealed at your choice.

Again, be informed—I neither condone nor desire ANY of the requirements set forth in this article- it represents the most hideous concept in my lexicon- compromise of my deeply held beliefs. However, it is the MOST INFRINGEMENT OF MY RIGHTS I WILL (BARELY) TOLERATE. My actual preference is for the Atlanta Declaration, to wit—

Every Man, Woman, and Responsible Child has an Unalienable Human, Civil, and Constitutional Right to Obtain, Own and Carry, Openly or Concealed, Any Weapon- Rifle, Shotgun, Handgun, or MachineGun, ANYTHING, Any Time, Any Place, Without Asking ANYONE'S Permission.

Got it?

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