The North Carolina Chapter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People kicked off the “Moral March” festivities Saturday with a rally in protest of the N.C. General Assembly’s policy decisions, which includes the controversial voter ID laws.
All seemed well with their intentions except for one participant requirement: in order to march with the NAACP, you had to bring a photo ID.
Conservative news sites such as the Daily Caller were quick to jump on the issue, and rightly so.
Liberal or conservative – it is important to stick to the heart of the issue. In today’s tense political atmosphere, it is easy to get so wrapped up in talking points that you begin acting counterintuitively to the central cause.
Democrats have more productive options in fighting against the new voting restrictions.
Instead of using disenfranchisement as the central argument, keep packing charter busses, but take them to the DMV so people can get an ID or to the polls to cast a vote.
The new GOP-backed changes to the voting laws are certainly unnecessary. Fraud doesn’t appear to be a decisive enough claim to warrant heightened voter integrity measures, and polling places are fine right where they are.
Is there a right to be dissatisfied with these changes?
Absolutely.
In Boone’s last municipal election, tensions were high as the Watauga County Board of Elections turned and twisted the voting locations. Democrats challenged the necessity of this change and proposed many counterclaims in an attempt to move the polling station back to Plemmons Student Union.
What came of the local Democratic Party’s diligence was a clean sweep of progressive candidates elected and a record number of voter turnout, according to the Watauga Democrat.
It goes to show that, in order to overcome an issue that can’t be changed right away, all you have to do to win is work a little harder.
It is less rewarding to argue your way through something than it is to work your way there.
Talking points are just that – talking.
Voting is powerful, and these new laws are a hindrance to the expression of that right. Prove the opposition wrong by enforcing the idea that actions do indeed speak louder than words ever could.
Dewey Mullis, a junior criminal justice major from Wallburg, is an opinion writer.