Shirley Preiss was born in Kentucky in 1910 – a full 10 years before American women gained the right to vote. She first voted in a presidential election in 1932, for FDR. She’s voted in every presidential election since, but that’s all about to change due to Arizona’s draconian voter ID law.
As Art Levine reported, Shirley effectively lost her right to vote when she moved to Arizona:
After living in Arizona for two years, she was eagerly looking forward to casting her ballot in the February primary for the first major woman candidate for President, Hillary Clinton. But lacking a birth certificate or even elementary school records to prove she’s a native-born American citizen, the state of Arizona’s bureaucrats determined that this former school-teacher who taught generations of Americans shouldn’t be allowed to vote.
The state’s voter ID law, passed in 2004, requires voters to show ID at the polling place and to provide proof of citizenship in order to register. But birth certificates weren’t issued in 1910 in Shirley’s birthplace of Clinton, KY, and her elementary school no longer exists.
[From Crooks and Liars » 97-Year-Old Arizona Woman Disenfranchised by Voter ID Law]
Tag: sad
Friend: Comic store owner critically hurt in shooting
Friends of a comic-book store owner shot in an apparent robbery said they can’t understand why the shop would be a target.
David Pirkola is in critical but stable condition in a local hospital, said Stephen Jahner, who owns Apparitions Comics and Books with Pirkola.
“People open comic stores because they love comics and are lucky if they can make a living,” Jahner said. “It’s not like we ever have a lot of cash in the store. It’s just unbelievable.”
Kentwood police said a man entered the store at 2757 Ridgemoor Drive SE around 7 p.m. and demanded money, shot Pirkola and fled.
Jahner said Saturday he has known Pirkola for decades.
“He’s just a sweet guy, one of the nicest people you’ll ever meet,” he said. “He’s the kind of guy you want watching your back.”
That’s where I buy Knights of the Dinner Table and PvP every month. There are few places I can think of less likely for a robbery an shooting. I heard about this late Friday night in the news and I still can’t believe it. Dave’s a totally nice guy. Robbing a comic book store? Robbing Dave’s comic book store? And shooting? And now Dave’s in the hospital in critical condition for a gunshot wound? It’s terrible and it doesn’t make any sense.
UPDATE: Friends of Dave’s have set up a donation page so people who want to help out can do so.