[NFBP-Talk] concerning a resolution for 2021

[Shannon Cantan]

aloha,
While I do agree that this wording was quite Pardison, I cannot agree that for that reason alone this resolution should be shut down, I wish The resolutions committee would have amended to make this the issue that it deserves to be, what we do in our personal time is completely irrelevant to our civic duty, it should be as easy as possible to vote, and while there has not been any blatant discrimination towards us, it took me over a month for me to get an ID, That is absolutely embarrassing. Comparing booking a flight, or a trip to the mall to voting/Getting an i.d is precisely the problem, if it was that simple this would not be an issue, I can book a flight at 3 AM, I can call in Uber easily, if a travel website or app is inaccessible I can call someone, if there’s an issue with voting or identification, I do not have alternatives. just as a brief description of what I went through to get an i.d, they did not except my military ID to register to vote online, so I had to go in person, when I went in person they told me I could not go to that location because they only renewed IDs, so round-trip  cost me $30 Uber that did not lead to  anything, the next time I went to another location they did not promote on the website that they were closed due to a holiday, that was another $30 round-trip Uber ride, the third time I went they did not tell me online that they were not taking credit cards and only taking money orders, another $30 Uber ride, on my last attempt just a month and a half before the election, I was finally successful, A total of $120 worth of Uber rides, plus the $30 and 50 Cent cost of the ID, not to mention me having to figure out these times alongside my work schedule. I wish this did not turn into a Pardison thing because there are people who just don’t have the time, money, or patience to do all of this  just to register to vote, a vote in the long run that feels unnecessary because your candidate either wins or loses by 100,000 votes anyway.
Sending nothing but love, thank you all. 

> On Jul 9, 2021, at 1:51 PM, Marsha Drenth via NFBP-Talk <nfbp-talk at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> 
>  saw this on Facebook and thought it was important that folks from the affiliate read it. 
> 
> Original poster is Joe Orozco: There is a provision in NFB resolution 2021-02 that makes it difficult to support. It states, in part:
> 
> “WHEREAS, the time and expense in obtaining state issued ID or other forms of identification can be onerous and therefore create a barrier for voters with disabilities”
> 
> This provision is counterproductive to an organization whose mission proclaims equality and independence and feels more like a nod toward a political agenda that would have you believe that people with disabilities are incapable of obtaining a state ID. We cannot argue blind people are capable of holding down gainful employment, raising children, traveling, and cooking but somehow fall flat when it comes to obtaining government identification.
> 
> It’s ironic the provision makes reference to time and expense during convention season when, under normal circumstances, blind people would spend ample time and expense attending a convention in person. Surely the author was not suggesting blind people can make arrangements to travel across the country once a year but experience an undue burden getting themselves to a DMV across town once every several years, and maybe not even then considering some states allow you to renew your ID online.
> 
> Obtaining an ID is onerous? Flipping over to the REAL ID could be considered onerous, not just for the blind but for the population at large. Unless the author was suggesting blind people would find it taxing to fly in future, we should probably rethink this provision or come up with a proclamation demanding the blind be excluded from this federal mandate, something an organization like the NFB would be hard pressed to support considering how hard we have fought to be included.
> 
> This provision is not about voter suppression. Blind people as a whole have not been blocked from polling places or intimidated or physically attacked for attempting to exercise their right to vote. This is a poor attempt to squeeze blind people into a minority class with legitimate claims to voter suppression. With few exceptions, elections are predictable, and if a blind person chooses not to obtain the proper identification to be able to vote, it is their prerogative but not an indication of a suppressed right.
> 
> The NFB should not become a political party’s soundbite. If the Democratic party believes strongly in ensuring the equality for persons in the electoral process, they should be taking the lead in pushing for accessible ballots. Anything less is nothing more than lip service and a gross emotional marketing attempt, using your disability to score political points.
> 
> Stop serving as somebody else’s pawn. Keep politics out of the resolution. Don’t use language that shoves us back by decades.
> 
>  
>> 
>> https://www.facebook.com/29610350/posts/10110033096915447/?d=n
>> 
>> 
>> Marsha drenth  
>> Sent with my IPhone  
>> Please note that this email communication has been sent using my iPhone. As such, I may have used dictation and had made attempts to mitigate errors. Please do not be hesitant to ask for clarification as necessary. 
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