The media's (and even some freepers') reaction to this letter makes me sad.
A guy wants to win, in America, and wants to curtail cheating. He gets beat up over letting people know something is illegal - and may be reviewed (a change from past practice). Good grief, this is like a public service announcement.
If my newspaper, tv channel, the politician who came to my door, and my friends told me to register and vote, and the people at the DMV were only too happy to register me without question . . . I think I would appreciate someone warning me that it was MY responsibility to make sure I was eligible to vote. Failure to follow the rules would lead to ME getting in trouble. Not the tv channel, the newspaper, the politician, or my friends.
This story is a beautiful example of the socialist gameplan. The plan is such that Paco's defense for voting illegally would be "I didn't know I wasn't eligible to vote." Knowing how we bend over every which way to help the downtrodden and linguistically challenged amongst us, Paco's defense would be a good one. So, literally, NO ONE is really going to pay any price for his illegal vote. What disincentive is there to sign EVERYONE up to vote and have them vote? Very, very little.
The only mitigant is how much did Paco know. Which is where all the fine print on the registration form, etc. comes in. And letters like the one that started this story.
I'll never forget my law school class on immigration law. 20 students. 15 or so of international origin. (Great teacher by the way!) One day we discussed voting. Many in the class were surprised to find they, as visa-carriers, weren't allowed to vote. Why were they surprised? (Remember, these are law students at Georgetown) Most had been asked if they wanted to register to vote at the DMV and went ahead and signed up. Their question to the professor? "Why would the DMV have allowed us to register to vote if we weren't legally eligible?"
The aspect of a rebutable presumption is, indeed, key to these issues. Not in the courtroom, but as a weapon to arm the uneducated against sophisticated, politcally motivated manipulation.
That very ploy had been used before in this particular congressional district by none other than William Jefferson Clinton.