Stupidity in action, example #1

This is about the most asinine thing I have come across this month, Arizona wants to run a lottery with the expressed intention of encouraging voter turn-out.

OK, so we are going to tell folks that if they vote, they will have a chance to win a million dollars. Who is this likely to encourage to vote? Someone that understands the issues of the day, who knows who the people running for office are and what they stand for or some num-nuts sitting at home thinking that is sure would be nice to win a million dollars and all they have to do is go vote. Don’t even need to buy a ticket! What a bargain!

I don’t want to encourage voter turn-out. I don’t want it to be fun. I don’t even think I want it to be convenient. I want everyone that is going to vote to have to show a photo-ID and answer a simple government trivia question. Voting is serious business with the goal of helping to direct the country. If you have to be bribed into voting, I would rather you didn’t. Drinks should be half price on Election Day so that those who would rather not vote have a better excuse to stay out of the voting booth.

And before anyone gets their panties in a bunch, requiring a photo-ID is not equivalent to a poll-tax. It is simple common sense. You are claiming to be a specific individual that has the right to vote. Why is it too much to ask that you prove it with photo-ID? You need that much to cash a check for crying-out-loud.