In Support of Limited Voting (Vanity)

Original | 11/6/02 | Russell Easley

[BSunday]

ping

[Mark Felton]

I've advocated for years that only people who own property (actually own it not lease it via a bank mortgage) or pay taxes should vote.

If you do not provide any resources to the government you should not have a say in how those resources are expended.

[ShayAllen]

I wholeheartedly agree...when morons and drones who can't think for themselves vote, they literally put the nation at risk. Also a problem is the issue of immigrants voting. Can we really get an legitimate vote from people who cannot even speak English, and know practically nothing of our system of government? What does it say of the Democratic ticket if the overwhelming majority of these types vote Democrat?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Raise the voting age to 30, make anyone who is receiving any kind of welfare payments from state or federal government ineligible, and make anyone who has a court appointed guardian due to mental incapacity ineligible. That should take care of most of the problem.

And I don't see any problem with voters being concerned with a reasonable level of legal protections for animals, but the Florida pig thing was a bit over the top -- should have been handling with a little picketing and boycotting, rather than a voter referendum and government regulation.

[MrB]

Combine your two ideas:

Only net tax payers get to vote.

[diotima]

No representation without taxation.

[Mark Felton]

good point.

[BikerNYC]

People have the right to vote stupidly.

[GovernmentShrinker]

Yes, that would be ideal, but under our current complicated web of often disguised welfare, it could get pretty difficult to calculate. For example, those interest-subsidized GSLs your kid is using to pay for college -- is that welfare to you, welfare to the kid, or not welfare at all since the only reason college costs so much is that colleges have raised their tuition to whatever the market will bear, which amount has been driven much higher by all the government-funded aid programs?

[MrB]

Yep, kinda hard to calculate in the present system.
Perhaps if the FedGov were Constitutional, this would be easier. Then again, if it were Constitutional, there would be no net tax receivers.

[BSunday]

Obviously, they do. But should they?

[BSunday]

Obviously, they do. But should they?

[BSunday]

Sorry for the double post.

[thisiskubrick]

Most people don't bother voting anyway. About 40% voted in the midterm elections. That means 21% of the TOTAL population decides how to run the country. That's 1 out of 5 Americans.. hardly a majority of the people.

[thisiskubrick]

I cannot believe this kind of stuff gets written in a patriotic/conservative news forum with the US flag attached.

Voting is a right for all citizens. It is a basic feature of our country. There are a couple of countries that don't allow everyone to vote though. In China for example those in power get to decide who is "smart" enough to vote.

Voting is the only power we have to peacefully change our government!

If limits are put on voting rights, then people in power will abuse those limits to their own ends. Southern states have tried all kinds of shenanigans to prevent blacks from voting. Literacy tests, history tests, competency tests, etc. etc.

Seattle just passed some great anti-tax measures that the establishment is calling "stupid". They would LOVE to make some kind of "test" to prevent people from voting.

Republicans call the Dems stupid and vice versa. Everyone hates each other's power to vote and would love to prevent them from getting to the polls.

If you are really worried about stupid people, then support steps to improve education in our country.

[BSunday]

If you are really worried about stupid people, then support steps to improve education in our country.

I am. I homeschool.

[BSunday]

PS. I am sick and tired of explaining this to humorless wretches. Please re-read the article. Does it not appear tongue in cheek to you, at least a little? You people need to stop taking yourselves so seriously.

[BikerNYC]

Yes, they should vote however and for whomever they want to vote. Each individual is the best measure for their own interests.

[shetlan]

It would be great if voters had at least a rudimentary understanding of our Constitution.

But a voting test for American citizens over 18 years old?...I don't think so!

(It would be fun to design one, however.)