Columnists need to review American history

On Sunday, Aug. 7, Cokie and Steve Roberts again showed why they have consumed gallons of Kool Aide. They insist on perpetuating the false idea that requiring an "ID" to vote is un-American.

These elitist Democrats continue to tell us that the Republicans want to keep minorities from voting by (heavens forbid) actually asking a voter to prove he/she is the person he/she says they are. They say voter fraud is a myth (of course, made up by Republicans).

Obviously these people are NOT from Illinois, where even dead people vote (three to four times if they died in Cook County). I especially like the last paragraph of their article where they claim American history reflects the fact that Republicans want to roll back progress on voting rights for blacks and woman.

Well, yes they do! If the Robertses knew any American history at all, they would know that the Republican Party (from 1860 on) was the party that championed civil rights for blacks and women. The Democratic Party was the party of slavery and black suppression.

The Republican Party passed (despite Democratic voting) the Civil Rights Act of 1866, (overriding President Johnson's veto). They also passed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (80 percent of Republicans favored) championed by Ohio Republican Rep. William McCulloch, who also led the passage of the 1965 Voting Rights Act and 1968 Fair Housing Act.

Concerning women, the 19th Amendment (woman voting) was passed in 1920 with a four-to-one support by the Republicans versus a 50-50 split by the Democrats.

Anyway, back to the "ID" issue. If you need an ID to cash a $2.15 check at the bank, but not one to vote, determining the future on how our country will be run, then priorities are really screwed up.

Voter ID compliance will help ensure an honest election. Why are only the Democrats against this?

Joe Deitschel

Schaumburg