Legal Pad Mentality

Have you ever known someone with legal pad mentality? The person with legal pad mentality cannot think for himself or apply his experience to different situations. He can do only what's written down step by step for him on the legal pad.

According to the Justice Department and liberal politicians, we have a whole bunch of voters with legal pad mentality. These liberals are fighting tooth and nail to nullify laws requiring voters to have photo ID. 

Take Edward Weidenbener, a resident of Indiana. He and his wife showed up at the polls without their photo ID. We didn't know we had to have it, they claimed. They were given a temporary ballot and told they could vote on it and have their identities verified later by going to the county election board. This would require follow-up on their part -- which they never did. They were not aware their votes didn't count until they were contacted by the Associated Press for a story.

Mr. Weidenbener says, "A lot of people don't have a photo ID. They'll be automatically disenfranchised." No, they won't. They can get a photo ID! But that requires thinking beyond the legal pad. 

The headline on the article I read says thousands could be barred from voting. There is no reason for one single person to be barred from voting. All they have to do is get a photo ID. Citing the Weidenbener case as evidence that wholesale numbers of voters are being disenfranchised by the ID requirement, Reporter Mike Baker then goes on to say that supporters of the laws "cite anecdotal cases of fraud." Isn't that what he just did to support his view? The claim that the laws are not required because there is no widespread fraud is a bit like telling a person he doesn't need a roof on his house, because it hardly ever rains. How do we know there is no fraud if we're not prepared to prevent it in the first place?

"Voter ID laws could bar thousands, review says." The Dallas Morning News; July 9, 2012; p. 1A.