JS Online: Editorial: What's the fraud threshold?

Now that it's official - there was fraud and illegal voting in Wisconsin - the editors at the Journal-Sentinel feel compelled to ask, "So what?":

"The task force has developed evidence of more than 100 instances in which residents are suspected of voting twice or of using somebody else's name or a fake name to vote. It also found more than 200 felons who voted despite being barred from doing so.

The investigation is painstaking work, but the perpetrators of fraud deserve to be found, tried and punished, to safeguard the franchise. Still, making the case against felons is tough because prosecutors have to show that the ex-cons knew they were breaking the law."

It's apparent that the editors, and others in their camp, want the system to continue as is so that "no individual is disenfranchised from their right to vote". The fact that it's "painstaking work" to track down each perpetrator is irrelevant to them. I'd argue that it's just what they want. Have our prosecutors so tied up with the little things that it's nearly impossible to see the big picture. Since when is ignorance of the law - "making the case against felons is tough because prosecutors have to show that the ex-cons knew they were breaking the law" - a defense?

A democracy is not only about individual freedoms. For a democracy to endure, we as the people, have a responsibility to participate and be accountable to it's success. If that responsibility now includes validating who we are when we exercise our most important democratic action - voting - so be it. If some choose to ignore or fraudulently usurp that requirement, they - not the law abiding - should have more difficulty accomplishing their designed plans of fraud.

As for the potentially "disenfranchised", please?! Who can rent a movie without and ID? Who can buy alcohol without an ID? Who can soon buy cold medicine without an ID? Who can go to a Bruce Springsteen concert without an ID?

I guess all of these actions are more important than our right to vote. Of course we should have an ID to attend a Springsteen concert! You don't want the wrong person getting in there!

The other fact that isn't lost on me is the left's inability - or desire to hide - the big picture. Not only with voter fraud but other areas. This is most noticeable in our current war on terrorism. The left continues to point out that Osama Bin Laden has yet to be brought to justice for 9-11. As if Bin Laden is the ONLY terrorist in the world. If only we had him, all terrorist activity would cease.

We will bring Bin Laden to justice, but the big picture success of our war on terror include two democracies in the Middle East. Two fewer radical regimes that aided and abetted terrorism and oppressed their citizens. These are huge accomplishments that the left is terrified of - because they are results that they didn't accomplish. In fact, they couldn't accomplish.