Posted on 12/09/2006 12:02:13 AM PST by goldstategop
Should anyone be allowed to vote in America? Probably most people would answer in the affirmative.
But what about people who don't even know the meaning of the word "affirmative"? Should they have an equal voice in the governing of our republic?
I was listening to Sean Hannity's radio show earlier this week. Periodically he sends one of his crew out to find candidates for man-on-the-street interviews. Sometimes these randomly selected people are asked to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. Sometimes they are asked who the vice president of the United States is. Sometimes they are asked if they can name any members of the U.S. Supreme Court.
On this particular day, Thursday, Dec. 7, they were asked why the date was significant in American history. Keep in mind this was the 65th anniversary of "a day that will live in infamy."
As always with these tests, a surprising number failed miserably – unable to associate the date Dec. 7 with any important historic event. With some clues, a few remembered something they learned about Pearl Harbor. One recent college graduate suggested it was the date "the Chinese attacked."
But what struck me about this simple test was that every single person who flunked the test had voted Democratic in the midterm elections. They did this because they believed the Democrats were "for the people," or "supported labor" or "fought for the little guy."
They uniformly agreed with Hannity, as he played the role of devil's advocate, that the rich did not pay their fair share of taxes. They agreed with his suggestion that the wealthy should pay 80 percent of their income to the government so it could be redistributed to the poor and the schools and other worthy causes.
On the other hand, every single person who knew the significance of Dec. 7 balked at the suggestion. Some argued articulately that tax rates that high were a throwback to the Soviet Union and counter to a free market system. Not surprisingly, none of them voted for Democrats in the last election.
It occurred to me after hearing this shocking series of interviews that the inmates are running the asylum in the USA today.
In a few weeks, the party of idiots will be running both houses of Congress. Now, don't get me wrong, I'm not suggesting the Republicans deserved to win. I think I've been very clear about the opportunities squandered by the GOP over the last 12 years and especially the last six. But, let's face it. The people who will be running the most important of the three branches of government come January owe their political careers to stupid people, deceived people, people who don't even know what happened at Pearl Harbor.
How does that make you feel?
Do you think people like that should be allowed to cancel out your informed vote?
Don't you agree there should be at least some minimal standard of competence to enter a voting booth in this country?
I don't know who would devise the test. I would be happy to do so. The test I would give would likely mean 90 percent of Americans could no longer vote. But I guaranty you freedom would be expanded in America for one and all. I guaranty you leaders would be elected who would make America safer. I guaranty you there would be greater economic opportunity for everyone.
How could that be a bad thing?
Nevertheless, I know it will never happen.
Instead, I'm afraid, America is going to continue its slide down the slippery slope of stupidity.
Worse yet, the country is not just getting dumber every day, it's getting more immoral.
I fear we're headed into a new dark age that threatens our very national identity and existence.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
Perhaps keeping them from breeding might also help.
"Show me just what Mohammed brought that was new, and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached." -Manuel II Paleologus
I agree with most of the article but find it ironic that while talking about other peoples ignorance, he misuses the word "guaranty", which is the noun form of the word when what he is looking for is "guarantee", the verb form
I noticed that, too. Kind of distracts from his very valid message.
His basic premise, that most democratic voters are ignorant, is something I have observed all my adult life.
A pipe dream, I know...
In my opinion, the great and noble press that was supposed to help keep them from falling into ignorance, has failed miserably.
I have long yearned for a standard test one must take to vote. It probably wouldn't be nearly as tough as what the author has in mind, but it would do the trick. I've also toyed with the idea that only those who pay income taxes should have the right to vote. My dad feels that people employed by the government shouldn't vote -- they vote themselves raises and job growth with our money!
Ignorance screams so loudly, it cannot be ignored.
I see insure substituted for ensure all the time.
I love browsing the Spanish language novellas on TV. If you want to know what the future will look like, check out any of these shows. They portray a divided society where Europeans live lives of luxury supported by a large underclass.
Mexico's lower classes continue to elect populists who promise the fight for "the people". Rising taxes simply lead to wide-scale corruption as those with means move to shield their wealth from the government.
It's easy to predict the future when it's already occurring in a country full of our future citizens.
'Got an even better idea. If you can name ten anti-American celebrities or journalists and can't name ten US Presidents or recite The Preamble to the Constitution or The Gettysburg Address, you should not be allowed to vote.
Just to on the safe side, every election cycle should have different educational requirements.
But, not really, I just get pissed when I hear liberal coworkers and/or "friends" quoting talking points one can hear in any George Clooney or Micheal Moore diatribe.
It's just a shame that stupidity is not painful.
I would bring back not only literacy tests but property qualifications as well and I would deny the vote to anyone receiving either a salary or a subsidy from the government.
The first voters were landowners and business owners, those who had a steak (sic) in government.
I have become very 'elitist' over the years and this past election showed that at least 50% of the voters are just too incredibly stupid to be allowed to vote. Those that agree that the RATS are better than the GOP on the following issues are brain dead in th extreme:
- Better on National Security
- Better on Border Control
- Better on Taxes
- Better on Spending
- Better on Moral Issues
- Better on integrity in Office
I would argue that they actively participate in the expansion of ignorance. Not failed miserably, but succeeded. If you don't read the paper, you're uninformed, but if you do, you're misinformed.
About this "no one working for the Government should be voting" crap, y'all going to deny soldiers and postal workers the right to vote? How about Air Traffic Controllers? I think it's wrong headed to paint with such a broad brush.
No where in that prophecy, or of other Old Testament prophets concerning events that have not yet transpired, is the nation of American even alluded to.
We are just "not in it."
I am almost certain that the United States (as the nation we now know) will cease to be in the not so distant future.
How about a poll tax?
No,not one designed to seperate the moneyed class from the have-nots but a nominal fee (say $1, $5) simply to deomonstrate a belief in the importance of voting.
Likely to winnow the field down to a majority of those who know what happended on Dec. 7. (and, probably, 911)
The unfortunate fact of the matter is that stupidity is very bipartisan.
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