commentaries

What a great public service this commentary is, Ms. Sturdevant! If only the commenters who insist that getting a photo ID is no problem at all read it--especially the examples following this statement: "Why should nonpartisan, faith-based social service organizations care about whether a would-be voter needs to wave a government-issued ID card to get a ballot at the polls? It's because such a requirement would make voting more difficult for 'the least of these' -- these agencies' frail elderly, disabled and homeless clients."

Speaking of great public services, kudos to Lutheran Social Services and Catholic Charities for making sure so many citizens have the opportunity to fulfill their most important civic responsibility and exercise their most precious civic right.

What the voter ID crowd forgets is that the Voting Rights Act, which went into effect some 47 years ago, finally established the principle that voting is an absolute right for any adult citizen. This is true whether you like their race, religion, ethnicity, political opinions, or tax bracket. People literally died for the right to vote on an equal basis.

Yet we have had people on these opinion boards seriously suggest that only those who pay instead of getting a refund at income tax time should be allowed to vote.

At the less extreme end, we have people insisting that it's no big deal for anyone to get a government ID (even though the driver's license, the ID they most often specify, does not prove citizenship and costs money to get, which constitutes an illegal poll tax).

They need to consider that they themselves could be caught short at the polls if, for example, their wallet was stolen the week before the election and all they had instead of a driver's license was a crumpled scrap of yellow paper.

The headline is certainly misleading. I don't think that it is appropriate or wise for LSS to weigh in on a political issue like this. Look what happened to the Kommen foundation. I am a long time contributer to LSS and may not be in the future. Stick to your mission.

elmore1: The mission of Lutheran Social Services is to help the vulnerable and unfortunate. This should not be a partisan issue. Some of the voters disenfranchised may be Republicans.

The right to vote should not be a partisan issue.

LSS and CC have a right to express their views on the issues in what they believe to be the best interests of their constituents. I may not agree with them, but that doesn't mean they aren't entitled to pursue publicizing their stances.

LSS and CC have the right to do whatever they want at the risk of alienating contributors. With 70% of people in favor of voter ID it is a risky move with little upside and a huge downside...

Voter ID is a solution a problem that doesn't exist. Why don't the Republicans come up with real ideas and solutions instead of railing against government.

Should not the churchs stay out of politics? What happen to the seperation between church and state, or is that only valid when it comes against what you believe.

I am Lutheran and attend church regularly when requested to sing in the choir. I believe my faith leaders can guide me in religious matters but they have absolutely no expertise greater than my own when it comes to political questions. I believe my congregation, like most of America, is divided down the middle. The surest way to split it down the middle is to start to tell the congregation how to vote. The day I read in the bulletin how to vote on any particular issue is the day I decide on a different church.