Elisha Beavers

This bill would be setting a dangerous precedent for our nation’s future. Its summary, “Authorizing the secretary of state to conduct random audits of the citizenship qualification of registered voters,” grants indiscriminate power to the secretary of state—for what purpose? To qualify who is a legal voter? I support that, but then is the bill used to qualify who is a loyal citizen, an agreeable citizen, a socialist, a communist, a witch? Perhaps not witch, but really—what safeguards are in place for using this bill to find out who might keep a certain political member in power, and who might not? And what will be done with that knowledge? Will it be used for safeguard the American people, or just those who our secretary of state likes that day? I don’t know, so I oppose this bill. I do know that history shows what happens if a nation gives power away because the consequences of our action or inaction do not immediately affect us. I am a U.S. citizen, born in Texas, raised by Americans, and when this bill is used against people who are not me, it may very well be used against me. I believe Martin Niemöller best shared the reality of allowing power to run rampant in his poem titled “First They Came,” copied and posted below. “First they came for the Communists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Communist Then they came for the Socialists And I did not speak out Because I was not a Socialist Then they came for the trade unionists And I did not speak out Because I was not a trade unionist Then they came for the Jews And I did not speak out Because I was not a Jew Then they came for me And there was no one left To speak out for me” I oppose and urge you to reconsider this bill. Thank you for your time.