Opinion: SAVE America bill is a poll tax and time to focus on wind, solar power

SAVE America bill is a poll tax in disguise

Trump’s so-called SAVE America bill calls for American voters to prove citizenship by reregistering with either a birth certificate or a passport. Given that only a third of the country’s citizens have a passport and even fewer have easy access to their birth certificates, this maneuver represents a significant attempt to discourage electoral participation and to disenfranchise millions of Americans.

As both passport and birth certificate copies are not cheap to acquire, this act effectively represents a poll tax, specifically forbidden by the 24th Amendment. The amendment, ratified in 1964, states: “The right of citizens of the United States to vote in any primary or other election … shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or any State by reason of failure to pay any poll tax or any other tax.”

This latest move by the Republican regime to further undermine our Constitution must be exposed for what it is — a blatant and illegal attempt by an unpopular and inept president and his congressional enablers to insulate themselves from the American electorate.

WILLIAM C. FLEMING, BLUE RIDGE

Keep reporting, even if FCC license is revoked

The Federal Communications Commission has threatened to revoke licenses to media organizations that reveal or threaten the global conditions now experienced, thanks to the Israel/U.S. war on Iran.

I suggest implementing a Trumpian strategy in circumstances such as these. If the FCC decides to proceed and revoke licenses from the news world that we rely on to tell us what is really happening, forget the formal obligations of being “licensed” to tell the truth. Disregard the regulations, disobey the “law” and continue your mission.

KEN MEAD, MARIETTA

As oil prices rise, let’s turn to solar and wind power

It seems there is an issue hiding in plain sight. Has there ever been a better time to admit how precarious our dependence on oil is?

As we continue this “war” with Iran, we see how fragile our current system is for providing energy. Prices rise dramatically. Oil reserves are tapped quickly — leaving us vulnerable to future threats. Financial markets drop. Anxiety rises.

There is nothing fragile about the sunshine or wind. They remain constant. Wind and rain are not dependent on politics or the whims of humans. Our focus on politics is always changing. Let’s rethink our dependence on fossil fuels and revitalize our efforts on solar and wind power. And don’t forget the positive effects on our dear Mother Earth and our own health.

It is time to implement solid and reliable sources of energy. No more suppression of clean energy implementation.

JEANNE MCCARTHY, ATLANTA

What's in the voting bill that Republicans are pushing to the Senate floor

Legislation that would require proof of U.S. citizenship for new voters has become a rallying cry for President Donald Trump. The Senate has taken up the bill this week.

GUEST COLUMN

As a domestic violence survivor who remarried, SAVE Act harms women like me

As the Senate considers approving the SAVE Act, many women — and other potentially disenfranchised Americans — are concerned the proposal would restrict their right to vote.

GUEST COLUMN