Pennsylvania Judge Ignores United States Supreme Court

by Bruce Johnson

In 2008 the SCOTUS ruled that there was no burden involved in requiring a photo ID for voting purposes and that such a requirement would not impede a person from voting.

In the decision, "Justice John Paul Stevens, who announced the judgment of the court and wrote an opinion in which Chief John G. Roberts Jr. and Anthony M. Kennedy joined, alluded to -- and brushed aside -- complaints that the law benefits Republicans and works against Democrats, whose ranks are more likely to include poor people or those in minority groups. Article.
Despite this ruling by the United States Supreme Court

"A judge on Tuesday blocked Pennsylvania from requiring voters to show photo identification in November's U.S. election, a decision that could influence turnout in a top electoral prize in the presidential race. 

"Judge Robert Simpson delayed its implementation until after Election Day, November 6. Simpson, however, did signal the law, which requires people seeking to vote to show either a state driver's license, government employee ID or a state non-driver ID card, could be implemented for future elections. The judge, ordered by the state's highest court to revisit his earlier ruling upholding the law, set a hearing for December 13 to further discuss the case." (Mark Shade, Reuters)

So law is not pertinent to this election in November, but is completely legal and just on November 7^th.  This is patently absurd on its face and in defiance of the Supreme Court in substance. Angela Coloumbis of the Philadelphia Inquirer writes:

"As written, the law said voters who do not bring proper photo ID on Election Day can cast a provisional ballot. They would then have six days to bring in the required photo ID for their votes to count. But as he had indicated last week during hearings in the case, Simpson decided that the law does not disenfranchise voters simply because it requires poll workers to ask for photo ID. Rather, the risk comes when a voter casts a provisional ballot but then cannot obtain the necessary identification in time. As a result, Simpson decided that for the November 6 election only, voters without appropriate photo ID could vote, but would no longer have to produce identification within six days, as their votes would be counted. " Article.

The judge seems to think six days an unfair window.  May we tell the judge that the election is not a surprise.  There is a really large window that has been in effect for months.  For years. IDs have been made readily available with the lowest bar of effort for the potential voter for months.

The burden of all this is really not on the person seeking a photo ID, but on the nation that must deal with the unmotivated, unknowing, uninterested alleged victims of a free photo ID giveaway program.
This entire identification flare up is in fundamental and glaring conflict with the demands from the same concerned groups who coincidentally welcome demands of identification for a national health program.  This health insurance ID is demanded, but not if you are an illegal. But if you wish to vote more than once, or if you are not a citizen, it is cruel to be asked to present a photo ID .
So the following quote, attributed to Ben Stein, becomes more salient.

"Fathom the hypocrisy of a government that requires every citizen to prove they are insured... but not everyone must prove they are a citizen."

"Many of those who refuse, or are unable, to prove they are citizens will receive free insurance paid for by those who are forced to buy insurance because they are citizens."

In conclusion, the Pennsylvania Judge said the burden of requiring a person to present a photo ID may keep some people from voting.  This ignores the facts that IDs are readily available and have been so for months. Not to mention that the Supreme Court has already declared the photo ID requirement as not being a burden. But dare ye not stand in the way of the federal government requiring a health insurance ID for a citizen.  Yet asking for citizenship ID of an alien is forbidden.  And asking for a photo ID of an unmotivated or illegal voter is forbidden as well.

Bruce Johnson

Source: http://www.americanthinker.com/blog/2012/10/pennsylvania_judge_ignores_united_states_supreme_court.html

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