Legislating the hypotheticals. It certainly appears that is exactly what consumes the time of our elected officials. Weeks, months even years spent debating and arguing about what could be. The whole gender discussion tops that list for me.

There is an old adage about pleasing all the people all of time, etc. that applies to this situation. We need to rule on facts, not feelings and fiction. There will always be some exception, some aberration or abnormality to every situation or circumstance. Those hypotheticals. The “what ifs.”

Consider the latest big discussion, the Save Act. What this bit of proposed legislation is attempting to codify is proof of citizenship before being allowed to vote. No longer will we just take your word for it.

Women won’t be able to vote because they got married. This from the same people that can’t define what a woman is by the way. And then there all those that can’t produce a birth certificate because, well, they just can’t. And those people don’t have passports either!

In 1971 the 26th amendment was passed which lowered the voting age to 18. That was, in part, to align that with the age for buying alcohol. If I can drink, I can vote! Makes sense right? You need to show proof of your age to buy that; seems reasonable you should show proof of your age to vote as well.

A birth certificate is certainly the answer to that. Birth certificates have been issued beginning over a hundred years ago in America. A birth certificate is required for a variety of legal and administrative reasons. Reasons like, going to school, getting a social security card, a driver’s license, a bank account and to apply for welfare and a host of other social programs.

But we are balking at requiring a birth certificate before issuing a voter identification card. There are “reasons” we may not have a birth certificate. The biggest reason being it could be inconvenient to obtain a copy of that document. If only births were registered!

Hypotheticals. That is what makes all those bills sent to congress hundreds of pages long. It’s why Nancy Pelosi proclaimed, “we have to pass it to know what is in it!” They are so filled with hypotheticals no one can understand them.

The facts, feelings and fictions. All are contained in these proposed bills. As far as the Save Act goes, I believe a birth certificate should be required before obtaining a voter identification card. And yes, that card must be presented at the polling station!

In case you haven’t read the entire text here is the link: Text – H.R.22 – 119th Congress (2025-2026): SAVE Act | Congress.gov | Library of Congress We need to pass it, so we know what it says.