Voting Shouldn’t Be Easier Than Buying a Soda — And That’s Okay

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“Where you see wrong or inequality or injustice, speak out, because this is your country. This is your democracy. Make it. Protect it. Pass it on.” – Thurgood Marshall

Powerful words, right?

And yet, today, if you dare say, “Maybe we should show ID to vote,” you're accused of trying to drag us back to the 1960s.

Let’s have an honest conversation here—because this isn’t 1965, and not every voting safeguard is voter suppression.

🗳️Voting Shouldn’t Be a Drive-Thru Process

Look—we don’t need to make voting harder - But we shouldn't make it easier than buying a soda, either.

Voting is a serious civic duty - You're not entering a sweepstakes or scanning a loyalty card at the grocery store. You're choosing who gets to spend your tax dollars, make your laws, and send your grandkids off to war - or not. That deserves a little formality, a little security, and yes—a little proof that you’re who you say you are.

🧾Proof Is Not Oppression - Requiring some form of ID is not voter suppression - It's voter verification—and that matters.

I'm 84 and I have no issue showing ID. Why should it be offensive to ask others to do the same?

If we’re willing to flash our ID for a six-pack of root beer or to pick up a prescription, why is it controversial to do it at the ballot box?

🧨Crying “Voter Suppression” at Every Turn - Let’s Slow That Roll

Yes, we absolutely need to remember our history - Disenfranchisement was very real.

But today’s world isn’t the same as it was in the civil rights era.

Let’s not forget - Barack Obama was president for eight years - Twice elected.

Millions of Americans of all backgrounds registered, showed up, and voted - That didn’t happen in a system designed to silence them. 

That happened in a system that, while imperfect, still worked.

So when every voting law—no matter how reasonable—is branded as “Jim Crow 2.0,” it doesn’t build trust - It undermines it.

🎯The Real Goal - Secure, Accessible, and Fair Elections - Let’s call out the difference between access and anarchy.

Voting should be:

Secure – so every vote cast is legitimate.

Accessible – so every eligible voter can cast a ballot.

Fair – so no group is unfairly favored or sidelined.

Striking that balance means we need both protections and participation.

Let’s make it easy for the right people to vote—not for anyone to vote without accountability.

🤔Final Thought - If you're asking for ID to protect democracy, you're not trying to turn back the clock.

You're doing what any responsible adult would do—you're securing the house before handing over the keys.

Stay  safe, stay secure, stay free, and realize that anyone who’s lived long enough to remember when elections were decided on paper, with pencils and a handshake, knows this isn’t about oppression. It’s about integrity.

(AI was used to aid in the creation of this article.)

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