BALLOT PROTECTION

Proof of citizenship would threaten voting rights

Voters should be alarmed by El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Bob Balink’s proposal that people registering to vote provide proof of citizenship. Although showing proof of citizenship might sound reasonable at first glance, such policies have only one effect: suppressing the constitutional voting rights of American citizens, especially the elderly and minorities and those with low incomes. Many people simply don’t have their birth certificate, which can be very difficult to obtain for people with limited resources.

Recent studies, such as those conducted by the Brennan Center for Justice at the New York University School of Law, have explored the questions of who has proof of citizenship and whether voter fraud by noncitizens is a problem that threatens election integrity in the United States.

The studies found that 7 percent — or more than 13 million Americans — do not have ready access to the documents that can definitively prove citizenship: a birth certificate, naturalization papers or a U.S. passport. Not surprisingly, the studies also found that those who most often lack proof of citizenship are poor, elderly or from racial and ethnic minority groups.

Furthermore, studies show that requiring proof of citizenship appears to do nothing to ensure election integrity while negatively impacting civic participation. In Arizona, for instance, the only state that currently requires proof of citizenship, 35 percent of new registrants in the most populous county were rejected in 2005, and 17 percent were rejected between January and September 2006. Most are presumed to be legal citizens who did not have the required documents.

We write on behalf of a coalition of local civic-minded organizations that believe the rights of so many legal citizens should not be sacrificed when there’s not one single documented case of a non-citizen attempting to register and vote in the state of Colorado — much less El Paso County.

The right to vote is a cornerstone of democracy. Our elected county clerk and recorder should be in the business of defending that right, not creating barriers for legal voters. The current system of verifying voter citizenship by way of sworn affidavit is working. In the absence of any evidence to the contrary, we ask Balink to shelve this discriminatory proposal.

Rosemary Harris

President, Colorado Springs Branch NAACP

Barb Ferrill Van Hoy

Executive Director, Citizens Project

SCHOOL REFORM

Cortez should prepare for a tough fight ahead

I would just like to take a moment to thank Luis Cortez for being brave enough to come forward and regret his role in the recall of two Colorado Springs District 11 board members last year, including myself. His powerful and damning words correctly point out how it is the defenders of the failed status quo in D-11 have been the ones standing in the way of helping kids for decades, not those of us who tried to change things.

Cortez was always an opponent I could count on to tell me to my face how he felt and what he thought I was doing wrong. While we disagreed at the time, it was welcome to have an opponent with enough honor to confront me like a human vs. attack me anonymously while hiding behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in union attack ads. As the saying goes, a good stigma beats a good dogma every time.

The question was never whether the reformers were right regarding whether D-11, and much of public education, was headed off a cliff. The question was only how long it would take for people to realize the truth, and how many kids would be hurt between now and that inevitable day.

We look forward to having Cortez’s passion and concern for kids make a real difference now. The hatred that will now come his way, though, he will need to be prepared for.

Cortez’s words were the best present some of us could have asked for this year.

Eric Christen

Colorado Springs

TOUR ABROAD

Ritter’s visit to Iraq seems like colossal waste

I agree with The Gazette’s fine editorial regarding Gov. Ritter’s visit to Iraq (“Tour of Duty,” Our View, Dec. 20).

When I learned of our governor visiting Iraq, my reaction was the same as described in the editorial. What on earth? Ritter wasn’t elected to represent me nor Colorado abroad. American citizens have a State Department, Defense Department, Foreign Agricultural Service, Foreign Commercial Service, Consular Service, president and vice president, all adequately provided for, to represent the U.S. Trips abroad by dignitaries are very costly — not to mention disruptive of U.S. efforts in sensitive foreign environments — and the gain is precious little.

Congress postured and wasted precious time with repeated votes on Iraq troop withdrawals, on playing the blame game, and on attempting to pass a comprehensive immigration package when there are long-standing immigration laws that are not enforced. There are many good and practical bills with considerable support that have been submitted in Congress that could improve citizens’ lives, but they languish and fade on the vine — reforms in insurance, Social Security, health care, fair taxes, etc.

Ruth Taylor

Colorado Springs

GUN CONTROL

Statistics point out bigger problem than firearms

In a recent letter headlined “Change the law to stop kids from killing kids” (Dec. 23) the writer admitted to not having statistics but “would guess that there are more children killed with guns in a year than with cars, voting or alcohol.”

After reviewing the latest statistics available through the Center for Disease Control, I find that such a guess is somewhat inaccurate. CDC statistics show that Unintentional Injury is the leading cause of death for ages 1-44, with motor vehicle accidents being the leading cause. There is a certainly a problem with homicide in the 15-25 age group; it is the second leading cause of death for that age group, but one in that group is still two and a half times more likely to die in a motor vehicle accident.

This would indicate to me that there are some significant problems in our society that cannot be explained by just the presence of firearms. Perhaps it is time for this country to do some rethinking about the issues that are driving avoidable deaths in America.

In fact, for the total U.S. population, health issues are the leading cause of death, unintentional injury is the fifth (with motor vehicle accidents having by far the greatest portion), and homicide is the 14th. So why don’t I hear calls for “motor vehicle control?”

Why, since alcohol is definitely a major player in motor vehicle accidents and deaths, aren’t stricter measures taken to handle driving-related alcohol abuse? Passing more laws will probably not help in a society that by many appearances accentuates violence and narcissism. Maybe it is now time for people to reclaim their responsibility of handling these moral issues and to quit pushing them off onto the government.

Will Lamkin

Colorado Springs

IN MEMORIAM

Peterson’s jazz legacy will live on in students

Kudos to The Gazette for the story about the life and passing of the great jazz pianist, Oscar Peterson (“One of the bright lights of jazz has gone out,” (Nation and World, Dec. 25).

Peterson was a titan at the keyboard and inspired so many of the young jazz musicians I studied with in college. His life story is an inspiring tale of rising up from poverty to incredible achievement with the help of a music-loving father.

I’m thankful for The Gazette report and disappointed that most of the mainstream press ignored the passing of this great black American. I encourage anyone who wants to learn about and get turned on to jazz music to give him a listen.

Ben Fromuth

Colorado Springs