Welcome to Mississippi, where greater reverence is placed on the purchase of cigarettes, beer and ammunition than on the sanctity of the voting booth.
Granted, it’s not much of a state motto, but maybe that moniker changes soon.
Hopefully, through all the bickering and childish behavior that seems to come along this time of year with the convening of the Legislature in Jackson, one piece of meaningful legislation will be passed: a voter ID law.
Currently, residents must show ID to prove their age in order to buy a pack of smokes, a six-pack of beer or a box of rifle cartridges, when their age is questioned. But you can just walk up to a voting booth, say a name, sign the book and be ushered into the voting booth.
Voters in Southwest Mississippi know well what can happen when the voting process becomes corrupted.
Among the most ugly examples of this was Wilkinson County 2007 Democratic primary race in which allegations of voter fraud, ballot mishandling, lawsuits and countersuits culminated with a new election, nearly a year after the first one was spoiled,
A law requiring voters to show identification prior to voting is badly needed in Mississippi. As evident in Wilkinson County, the system is easily corruptible. Such a law will not stop all voter fraud, but it might help curb some monkey business.
If we don’t start tightening up our loose, good ole boy laws, we’ll all end up questioning the integrity of our election system even more than the law-abiding voters in Wilkinson County do.
— The Natchez Democrat
Editorials
Mississippi's priorities misplaced
- Editorials
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Dems’ turnout slips since ‘07 primary
More people voted Democratic than Republican in Mississippi’s primaries last week, but that doesn’t mean the Dems should break out the bubbly. In fact, the numbers might give them reason for heartburn.
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Risk-rewards of beachfront homeownership
People who build beachfront homes in Biloxi know they are taking a risk. Maybe not this year or the next or even the next, but sooner or later Mother Nature will deliver her fury, usually in the form of a hurricane, against the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
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OUR VIEW: Awesome job in landing major company locally
Christmas came six months early for Jones County when it was announced this week a major manufacturer would set up shop in the Howard Technology Park, something the facility has been attempting to acquire for years. And from all accounts, it was a team effort to have this gift end up in our lap.
- OUR VIEW: Teen ‘prank’ could be deadly
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Hurdles to taxing online sales
The next time you’re talking with candidates for the Legislature, ask if they think everyone should pay their fair share of sales taxes.
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New Choctaw chief seeks tribal unity
For 28 years, Phillip Martin was the very public face of the Mississippi Band of Choctaw Indians, as comfortable in the halls of Congress as he was at the Mississippi Capitol.
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OUR VIEW: Tough Decisions Ahead
Jones County Tax Assessor Ramona Q. Blackledge recently released preliminary revenue numbers for the coming year compared to this year and it looks like we will be facing a loss of about $700,000 in our annual revenues.
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OUR VIEW: Why the obsession?
The earth finally began to rotate once again Tuesday afternoon after being suspended while the world watched the Casey Anthony murder trial play out the past month in a Florida courtroom.
- OUR VIEW: Thank our military this July Fourth
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ATV drivers need safe place to ride
The recent front-page article regarding problems caused by riding ATV’s (All-Terrain Vehicles) in improper places and manner motivated me to pass along some thoughts I have on the issue.
- More Editorials Headlines
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Dems’ turnout slips since ‘07 primary
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Skip the Coffee Cup and Inhale Your Caffeine Fix
