Tucker contentions wrong, inflammatory

In a recent article, syndicated columnist Cynthia Tucker rails against the state of Indiana and the Republican Party for their insistence that voters present valid picture identification at the polls. Her contention is that a segment of the population, made up mostly of poor and minority Democrats, will be unable to vote, thus allowing Republicans to dominate elections there.

Nothing could be farther from the truth. State of Indiana ID cards are free to voters and are valid for six years. If any resident of Indiana lacks valid identification, he or she can easily obtain a state ID card at no charge through the Indiana Bureau of Motor Vehicles by presenting such documents as a birth certificate, a Social Security card or a voter's registration card. In some cases, all that is needed is an affidavit.

Tucker should be ashamed of herself for propagating racial and class tension. Her time would have been better spent informing Indiana residents of the victory for voter's rights that a free ID card symbolizes. It gives access to the polls to citizens who may have otherwise not had it under the new requirements, while limiting voter fraud.

Jackson Rodgers

Gilberts