Ms. Chen,
I understand APIA’s disappointment on the Supreme Court
ruling that allows the State of Texas to enforce its Voter ID Law in the
upcoming election. I even understand the sentiments of the APIA members,
their reasons for wanting .. or wishing… a reversal of such decision.
Truth be told, I admire the organization’s efforts to be a powerful advocate
for the rights of Asian American and Pacific Islanders in the ever-expanding
political and social arena of the United States.
However, as an Asian-American myself, I fail to understand
why the enforcement of the Voter ID Law in Texas, or anywhere else for that
matter, would be detrimental to the goals and objectives of your
organization. I fail to understand how you and leaders like you, have
sidestepped the fact that voting, although it has always been touted as a
right, is a sacred privilege! We earn that privilege in a legal,
unbiased way as we become citizens of this country according to its established
laws. When we circumvent those laws, when we demand the rights and
privileges earned by law-abiding Americans for ourselves as we hide under the
broken umbrella of racism and equality and political correctness, we break
those very laws of which protection we demand. In other words, we become
self-serving hypocrites!
As I listened to the perspectives voiced by the
leaders of the APIA community, I heard words such as, “ political power,
opportunities, engaging in issues, participation, advocacy,” etc. I
admire the platform in which you stand and your dedication to the improvement
of the Asian-American influence in this country’s political spectrum.
However, you need to emphasize and never forget that we are bound, not by our
desire to be in equal footing with everyone, but by the higher law of the land
– the United States Constitution! If you disregard the importance of the
Voter ID which should establish everyone’s legal right to cast his/her vote as
a citizen of the United States, then your organization becomes an advocate for
fraud and dishonesty and you trample the right of law-abiding Americans that
they have earned legally. You will probably cling to the reasoning of the
far-left that the enforcement of the Voter ID Law is a deterrent that would
drive those who want to vote away from the polls because ID’s are hard to
obtain. But let me tell you something: A lot of us, immigrants,
have managed to pass through the “eye of the needle”, so to speak, to come to
the United States. We have experienced privations, untold hardships,
worked very hard, some even have defied threats to life and limb, to enjoy the
promise of the American dream. If we have experienced and overcome those
untold challenges, would you care to tell me how a simple trip to an ID issuing
facility so we would have the right to be a voice that would shape this
country’s destiny would be such a hard, insurmountable chore? Would you
care to let me know how, by demanding that we do away with such law, we can
ensure that the right of those who are legally allowed to vote are protected
and preserved? Would you also care to tell me how your organization could
encourage its members to be civically engaged when they could not even secure a
necessary indicator that proves they could exercise their voting right as a
citizen of this country? I would venture to declare that only those who
have less than principled motives or those who are less engaged would use
the difficulty of obtaining an ID as a crutch to voting rights.
Thank you for giving me the opportunity, as an Asian-American,
though not a member of your organization, to speak up. With all due
respect, I hope I do not become a party to the erosion of the laws of the
country that I love and embrace as my own, the United States of America.
Along with that hope is my prayer that those whose motives are stellar,
but whose means are misguided – I venture to say, like your organization –
would be encouraged to re-think the issues they espouse and support.
Sincerely,
Norma Rivera
"All that is necessary for the growth of evil is for good men to do nothing." - Edmund Burke
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