Health & Fitness
The Word 'Nugatory' Comes to Mind...
The Wisconsin Legislature is up to some really stupid stuff.
We're all rightly concerned about the serious fiscal situation our state is in, so what's the Legislature up to? Voter ID and concealed carry.
The first is a problem in search of a solution; the second is the creation of a problem.
In 2008, roughly 3 million (OK, 2,983,417) votes were cast. Wisconsin's Republican attorney general, who presumably would be delighted to find voter fraud, looked high and low and found 11, count 'em, 11 improper ballots. I only have 20 fingers and toes to count on, but I think that works out to .00036% of the votes cast. This is hardly a threat to democracy.
Find out what's happening in Wauwatosawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Meanwhile, there are legitimate concerns that imposing voter ID will a), create headaches for election officials across the state; and b), disenfranchise hundreds, if not thousands, of voters.
And let's be honest: There are far bigger problems in Waukesha County, where the clerk loses track of thousands of votes at a time and has a system that's completely opaque and accountable to no one.
Find out what's happening in Wauwatosawith free, real-time updates from Patch.
I'm completely open to voter ID if a), it's shown to be necessary; and b), is implemented in a way that's not a barrier to voting. As it is, this is stupidity at best, disingenuous disenfranchisement at worst.
And speaking of stupid, what's the big idea of letting people carry concealed weapons? Putting more guns on the streets will make us safer? The police hate the idea, and I imagine most Wisconsinites – who don't own concealable firearms – aren't to eager to see it happen, either.
According to the Centers for Disease Control, 2.7% of Wisconsin households in 2002 had loaded weapons. Let's be generous and suppose that this represents the percentage of citizens who actually want to carry loaded weapons outside their homes and further suppose that these weapons are concealable. Heck, let's be really generous and say it's 10%.
We're going to pass a law to allow this minuscule percentage of citizens to carry concealed firearms?
And why do they want to carry them? I don't accept the idea that they have better judgment than the rest of us. In fact, I think it's safe to assume the opposite is true.
So, voter ID and concealed carry. Your state legislature at work – on really stupid stuff.
