And it’s not just this guy. It’s many elderly people who weren’t born in a hospital, and the only record of their birth is in an ancient family bible. And others for whom getting a birth certificate is problematic.

If we’re going to be serious about “proof of citizenship”, then we need to do as a number of other countries do — when someone is born in this country, or is naturalized as a citizen, they are given a unique citizenship number and put in a national citizenship register (this would have the added benefit of making it easier for Boards of Elections to remove voters from the rolls when they die, as the citizenship number of a dead person would be forwarded to the BofE, as it would many other places, when someone dies).

Of course, the very same people bellowing about proof of citizenship now are the same ones who would be screaming about such a plan being some sort of socialist plot and vehemently oppose it. Which makes sense, because the whole purpose of this exercise is to disenfranchise people. It’s the only way Republicans can win.