Full Version: The Vote - Come One Come All
Re Mike's suggestion I am making this into a new thread and have put in here my post that started this tangent and DonTreadOnMe's reply.....
Basheva wrote:
DontTreadOnMe's reply:
Is literacy testing really racist?
Basheva wrote:
QUOTE
What do you think should be the prerequisites for the indvidual's right to exercise the franchise?
Age?
Citizenship?
Length of Residence?
Proficiency in a certain language - like English?
Literacy?
These are by no means empty questions - as the population of this county continues to expand in diversity, knowledge of a particular language is a matter of concern. Like - how many languages can government be expected to print up a ballot?
Age?
Citizenship?
Length of Residence?
Proficiency in a certain language - like English?
Literacy?
These are by no means empty questions - as the population of this county continues to expand in diversity, knowledge of a particular language is a matter of concern. Like - how many languages can government be expected to print up a ballot?
DontTreadOnMe's reply:
QUOTE
I can't imagine a reason to give a non citizen the right to vote.
As far as age, I think it is fine where it is. Voting should remain an adult decision.
And English should be the electoral language, if not where would it end?
Do we need ballots printed in Hmong? Armenian? Bantu?
The list could go on and so would the cost.
Literacy tests were already used post-reconstruction and deemed racist, so while it would be nice if people could read and understand ballots, it wouldn't pass muster today.
As far as age, I think it is fine where it is. Voting should remain an adult decision.
And English should be the electoral language, if not where would it end?
Do we need ballots printed in Hmong? Armenian? Bantu?
The list could go on and so would the cost.
Literacy tests were already used post-reconstruction and deemed racist, so while it would be nice if people could read and understand ballots, it wouldn't pass muster today.
Is literacy testing really racist?
Requirements--age, citizenship, residence. I think that's good enough. I don't really have any problems with the current requirements. Non-citizens shouldn't be able to vote, but then, they shouldn't be able to collect unemployment benefits and such, but what the hell.
I think anybody who moves here and can't speak some English within a year is a retard, but I don't know how you can force somebody to learn a language (though I don't know why in the world anybody living here wouldn't at least give it a shot). I would recommend good old-fashioned shame and ridicule as a means of encouraging the non-English inclined to pick up a few key phrases.
Maybe future ballots can have a picture of each candidate, the way the cash register at McDonald's has pictures of food, for the benefit of non-readers.
I think anybody who moves here and can't speak some English within a year is a retard, but I don't know how you can force somebody to learn a language (though I don't know why in the world anybody living here wouldn't at least give it a shot). I would recommend good old-fashioned shame and ridicule as a means of encouraging the non-English inclined to pick up a few key phrases.
Maybe future ballots can have a picture of each candidate, the way the cash register at McDonald's has pictures of food, for the benefit of non-readers.
Many southern states used such measures as poll taxes, literacy tests, constitutional interpretation tests, and citizenship knowledge tests to ensure that its African American citizens would have a difficult time exercising their right to vote.
These tests pretended to be designed to determine which persons were qualified to vote, but in reality were used to effectively and repeatedly deny the rights of certain citizens to vote.
These tests pretended to be designed to determine which persons were qualified to vote, but in reality were used to effectively and repeatedly deny the rights of certain citizens to vote.
That's the history....but how about now?
Isn't voter turnout low enough without demanding that people be able to read? Remember, we're talking about US citizens here - who were presumably educated in our school system. We'd be down to, like, 10% by 2004. 
I like our voting requirements. I would like to see a significant investment in modernizing and standardinzing our system of voting so we don't have to embarass ourselves every year as we show the world how to exorcise er exercise democracy.
A literacy test for voting? No way. Nope.
Look, in today's America, even those who CAN read mostly do NOT read - they watch the idiot box. Since almost everyone is being "informed" through the visual media these days, someone who cannot read could have just as informed a concept of the candidates as someone who can read but chooses not to.
Maybe only people with a measured IQ over 160 should be allowed to vote... Nader would make a damn good president!
Look, in today's America, even those who CAN read mostly do NOT read - they watch the idiot box. Since almost everyone is being "informed" through the visual media these days, someone who cannot read could have just as informed a concept of the candidates as someone who can read but chooses not to.
Maybe only people with a measured IQ over 160 should be allowed to vote... Nader would make a damn good president!
QUOTE(quarkhead @ Jan 22 2003, 06:07 PM)
A literacy test for voting? No way. Nope.
Look, in today's America, even those who CAN read mostly do NOT read - they watch the idiot box. Since almost everyone is being "informed" through the visual media these days, someone who cannot read could have just as informed a concept of the candidates as someone who can read but chooses not to.
Maybe only people with a measured IQ over 160 should be allowed to vote... Nader would make a damn good president!
Look, in today's America, even those who CAN read mostly do NOT read - they watch the idiot box. Since almost everyone is being "informed" through the visual media these days, someone who cannot read could have just as informed a concept of the candidates as someone who can read but chooses not to.
Maybe only people with a measured IQ over 160 should be allowed to vote... Nader would make a damn good president!
How about an IQ of 160 and sane. Makes Nader unviable.
Darcaine
Do you think that one need less qualifications for voting than for naturalization?
Here are the requirements for citizenship:
Click for More
There are a couple of exceptions listed....but unless someone meets the requirements that we demand for naturalization - seems to me that works for voting too.
(I'm trying my avatar for the first time - uh oh - here goes)
Here are the requirements for citizenship:
QUOTE
You must have basic knowledge of written and spoken English. At the naturalization interview, you will be required to speak, read, and write English.
Click for More
There are a couple of exceptions listed....but unless someone meets the requirements that we demand for naturalization - seems to me that works for voting too.
(I'm trying my avatar for the first time - uh oh - here goes)
I like the ole butterfly ballot as a way to qualify voters.
I think an illiterate person can still make an informed choice on the ballot. Maybe not as informed as us AD posters, but still, I would bet that MOST people either
a) vote for a particular party anyway, no matter what, or
choose the candidate they like from watching television.
I like the idea of putting little photos on the ballots.
I think I read somewhere that the tallest candidate almost always wins. Interesting.
a) vote for a particular party anyway, no matter what, or
choose the candidate they like from watching television.I like the idea of putting little photos on the ballots.
I think I read somewhere that the tallest candidate almost always wins. Interesting.
This is a simplified version of our main content. To view the full version with more information, formatting and images, please click here.