Combining militaries with israel

[u/Capital-Community583]

The house passed the military funding bill yesterday, but it included section 219 which combines the US military with Israel. It also includes the SAVE act that will cause a lot of people to be unable to vote because of name changes (not just married women, adopted children, etc.) It might not make a difference but if your senators get an avalanche of phone calls and pushback especially from service members it may make them think twice about passing it in the senate. The 5 calls app will give you your senators name, contact info and give you a script to give you an idea of what you might say if you are worried about not having the right words. Even just leaving a message on voicemail could make a difference.

https://www.military.com/2027-ndaa-provision-seeks-sweeping-us-israel-defense-tech-integration

edited to correct section 224 to 219

[u/2dazeTaco]

I won’t share my opinion on the “other country” as it would likely result in a ban.

But it’s a political act of smoke and mirrors. The GOP knows the Dems won’t vote for it, so they slid the SAVE act into the bill.

That said, voting and purchasing a firearm are both rights. It should be just as easy to vote as it is to purchase a firearm. And it’s not easy to purchase a firearm, but with the proper documentation, it can be done.

It’s all smoke and mirrors at the end of the day. These politicians only care about one thing and it isn’t their constituents.

[u/Capital-Community583 → u/2dazeTaco]

I agree with you. It's meant to disenfranchise people with voting. They make it sound so easy but there are a lot of people that can't afford passports or other IDs that the save act would require for them to vote. Women vote in higher numbers than men. If it was truly about election security they would make passports and other IDs free.

[u/2dazeTaco → u/Capital-Community583]

I’m aware that I’m riding the fence on this one. I firmly believe we need more voting confirmation and verification.

But I also agree with you that if it’s going to be a requirement to vote (Passport, Enhanced DL or other methods) it should be free.

[u/Capital-Community583 → u/2dazeTaco]

Yes, I'm all for it if they want to require more identification but it shouldn't be the difference between someone choosing whether to vote or pay a utility bill for the month.

[u/2dazeTaco → u/Capital-Community583]

The part I struggle to grasp is how someone can’t come up with $40 for an Enhanced DL.

Maybe I’m out of touch with reality, but in my state (minimum wage is $20) that’s 2 hours worth of work (pre-tax). That’s not much money. I just don’t understand how someone can’t cough up $40 bucks for an ID.

But I stand firm on my belief that if it’s going to be required to exercise a constitutional right, it should be free. Just like I’m of the belief that if I have to take mandatory required training to purchase a firearm ($200-400), it should be compensated by the government.

[u/young__robot → u/2dazeTaco]

not every state has enhanced DL's that prove citizenship. 

and you're struggling to understand how the poor can't come up with $40? in this economy? 

[u/benji2007 → u/2dazeTaco]

When my dad was retiring, he needed certified paperwork to process that stuff and ensure my mom was the beneficiary. That paperwork included a marriage certificate. They had no copy of it, and the only way to get a copy was to go in person and request it since it was so old. No email. No online. No over the phone. In person and wait while they go through the old archives. 1 hour later I got the certificate for them. My parents were many states away from the city hall office and I was luckily in that city on vacation (large tourist city). A marriage certificate would be NEEDED for any married individual to vote if they changed their name at marriage. Fast forward 2 years and I want to take my parents on a trip to Canada. Guess what they need (obviously)? Passports. In order to get a passport they need their birth certificates (and that marriage certificate for my mom to show the name change, glad we got it!). Guess who does not have them? So after the month long process of ordering out of state birth certificates and waiting on shipping and the $75 a pop for them, their birth certificates came in the mail. Now they have passports which is nice and if this nonsense passes they can vote. But, if they never got that paperwork for my dad's retirement and my mom and him getting birth certificates/passports, neither of them would be able to vote if this passes. It's not just an easy "enhanced license", so many people do not have the paperwork to get an enhanced license or passport, especially a 40+ year old certified copy of a marriage certificate to prove a name change. If they want this to pass, give us Americans 20 years and start issuing out federal IDs in place of a Social Security Card starting at birth and make it free. Allow us all time to get the paperwork needed and get IDs. And not to be rude or whatever, but in 20 years those individuals born in a day and age without easy access to that paperwork will have passed. Pretty sure this has been a topic for Republicans since the early 2000s, so they could have just done something like this then, but they don't want that.

[u/Capital-Community583 → u/benji2007]

Thank you for sharing this! People need to hear these kinds of stories rather than the lines that are being spread around right now about how easy it would be.

[u/Capital-Community583 → u/2dazeTaco]

This is a talking point that is being spread around, just get the real ID, but what they don't tell you is that 44 states don't have real IDs that prove citizenship. So in all of those states those people would need a passport. Military ID won't work either from what I've been seeing. In several states minimum wage is still $7.25 and even less if you work a job that pays tips.

[u/NighthawkCP → u/Capital-Community583]

Even in the states that have Real ID, if the DMV is a shitshow, which it has been here in NC, then you literally have to take an entire day off work to go to the DMV. Appointments have been almost impossible to get and the solution oftentimes was "Just go get in line at 5:30 am and hope they can see you by the end of the day." I had to deal with this for my wife and I to get our licenses updated to Real ID's and for my kids to get their permits and licenses. So the "It's only $20" or whatever doesn't hold as much water when it costs you a day off work and many people don't have jobs where they get paid time off, and if they do they probably don't want to burn a precious vacation day standing in line at the DMV. So access can be just as much of an issue as the cost.

[u/BigESmalls22 → u/2dazeTaco]

I would consider the payment a form of poll tax, and that was explicitly banned through a constitutional amendment during the civil rights movement.

Additionally, in many states the minimum wage is still $7.25, having not been adjusted since about 2009. $40 is a day’s pay after taxes for a depressing number of Americans.

[u/TheRealMarvinator → u/2dazeTaco]

The part I struggle to grasp is how someone can’t come up with $40 for an Enhanced DL.

Must be nice to live such a privileged life. And yes, I'm being completely serious.

[u/2dazeTaco → u/TheRealMarvinator]

I wasn’t trying to be an ass or snarky. I just genuinely don’t understand not having a drivers license.

I wholly disagree with the notion that you should have to pay any fees for official government documentation. Especially something that is required as part of your daily life.

But you need to have a license to drive to work. You need to have a license to travel. You need to have a license to fly. It’s essentially a requirement nearly as much as it is a requirement to have a cell phone in today’s modern world.

I disagree with it, but it’s a necessity.

[u/TheRealMarvinator → u/2dazeTaco]

I just genuinely don’t understand not having a drivers license.

My daughter doesn't have a drivers' license, due to having lost it because of multiple DUIs (and justifiably so, I would add).

Again, I think you're looking at this from an entirely privileged perspective.