Voting?

[Ardmore_Sooner]

A right or a privilege?

[nanimonai]

Who is granting the privilege?

[Ardmore_Sooner]

I feel it is a right, just wondering how others felt. I don't think it is a pivilege at all.

[SicEmBaylor]

Heh,

Boy of boy if this thread isn't SicEm nip...

Personally, I firmly believe it should be viewed as a privilege rather than an inherent right granted to any 18 year old moron that manages to actually fill a damned registration card out and mail it in (yet even this is beyond the capability of most).

Since it's "apparently" unconstitutional to establish poll taxes, I would like to see the passing of some sort of basic citizenship test as a requirement before one is allowed to vote. Ideally our education system is suppose to teach every high school graduate basic civics lessons but yeah right.

I don't encourage people to just vote. I don't see any inherent virtue in encouraging someone who knows nothing of the candidates or issues to walk into a voter booth and act as if they've performed their civic duty by randomly filling in ovals. You could train a chimp to do the same thing and probably get better results.

Voting is something that the citizen ought to STRIVE to obtain. I'm a little bit of an old fashioned elitist in that I absolutely do not believe in the idea of universal suffrage. Property ownership used to be the determinate factor for obtaining the right to vote; however, property ownership is so widespread that it has become meaningless.

I think a basic civics test is the correct way to go. A voter ought to know the basic responsibilities and differences between their State Representative and their US Senator. They ought to be familiar with basic ideas of federalism and the separation of powers.

[badger]

I am voting early-- a privilege and a convenience :D
vote tomorrow--- beat the non-rush of absent voter turn outage in off-year midterm election! woot!

[Jimminy Crimson]

Privilege.

SicEm said it best.

[nanimonai]

Either way, it pretty much takes care of itself now.
The only people that ever go vote are ones who care enough to have studied the issues.

[CORNholio]

Heh,

Boy of boy if this thread isn't SicEm nip...

Personally, I firmly believe it should be viewed as a privilege rather than an inherent right granted to any 18 year old moron that manages to actually fill a damned registration card out and mail it in (yet even this is beyond the capability of most).

Since it's "apparently" unconstitutional to establish poll taxes, I would like to see the passing of some sort of basic citizenship test as a requirement before one is allowed to vote. Ideally our education system is suppose to teach every high school graduate basic civics lessons but yeah right.

I don't encourage people to just vote. I don't see any inherent virtue in encouraging someone who knows nothing of the candidates or issues to walk into a voter booth and act as if they've performed their civic duty by randomly filling in ovals. You could train a chimp to do the same thing and probably get better results.

Voting is something that the citizen ought to STRIVE to obtain. I'm a little bit of an old fashioned elitist in that I absolutely do not believe in the idea of universal suffrage. Property ownership used to be the determinate factor for obtaining the right to vote; however, property ownership is so widespread that it has become meaningless.

I think a basic civics test is the correct way to go. A voter ought to know the basic responsibilities and differences between their State Representative and their US Senator. They ought to be familiar with basic ideas of federalism and the separation of powers.

You must be a democrat.
You as a human being have the right to determine the people that rep you.
If idiots are consitantly elected it is a reflection on our society and should be addressed in the most fundamental way.

Your right to vote, your right to drive, your right to drink and be stupid should not be controlled by a small opinionated few. People should be elected who will perserve the freedom not limit it. That is all. Keep america free.

[Okla-homey]

A fundamental right of citizenship for those 18 or over...unless given up by the citizen who chooses to engage in felonious activities, suffers a conviction, and thereby loses his/her right to vote according to the law of his/her state of residence.

I think that is pretty much what the US Supreme Court (the ultimate arbiter of Constitutional interpretation) has ruled.

[jk the sooner fan]

yeah, wasnt it call the "bill of privileges"?

[CORNholio]

it is my belief that the government does not grant priveledges but protect rights.
Its sad how much this country has strayed from its original intent. It is even more sad how our society accepts it and is ignorant of this fact.

[leavingthezoo]

both.

[jk the sooner fan]

we should treat it like a privilege, but its a right

[Chuck Bao]

I vote that it is a right and that all US citizens above the age of 18 should have the right to vote, except felons and Sic’em (for espousing that elitist stuff).

[olevetonahill]

Voting is a right . knowing about what the hell you are voting about is a privilege :cool:

[NormanPride]

I think we should let pets vote. I mean, my cat is like a member of my family! Why can't my cat vote if it's a member of my family?!

[C&CDean]

I think a basic civics test is the correct way to go. A voter ought to know the basic responsibilities and differences between their State Representative and their US Senator. They ought to be familiar with basic ideas of federalism and the separation of powers.

You're joking, right? 90% of eligible voters can tell you who Anna Nicole Smith or Britney Spears is boinking, what's going on in the latest episode of Survivor, and what happened last week on Lost. And these same people think "The House of Representatives" is the place a bunch of old senators hang out in, and "The Executive Branch" is a bar and grill in Washington, DC.

90% of voters change their minds like they change their underwear. Watch the polls. It's "flavor-of-the-month" club. People are pretty much morons in this country.

Voting is your right as an American. Your Constitutional right. However, those who are convicted of violating the laws of our land should have that right taken away. Convicted felons can't possess firearms, and shouldn't be allowed to vote.

[Chuck Bao]

Maybe that's why they call them the swing vote.

Wouldn't it be better if we just kept voting someone off the island.

[TexasSooner01]

Both.

[jk the sooner fan]

a poll test, just when i thought i'd seen it all from wonderboy

[Ike]

a poll test, just when i thought i'd seen it all from wonderboy


yeah...didn't some states have those a few years back? I seem to remember that it didn't go over too well.

[Ike]

Oh, and I say its a right. Government derives its power from the consent of the governed. This is THE fundamental principle our country was founded upon. Limiting access to voting, however tempting it may be due to apparent lack of intelligence of the electorate, deprives the governed of their right to consent.

[85Sooner]

A fundamental right of citizenship for those 18 or over...unless given up by the citizen who chooses to engage in felonious activities, suffers a conviction, and thereby loses his/her right to vote according to the law of his/her state of residence.

I think that is pretty much what the US Supreme Court (the ultimate arbiter of Constitutional interpretation) has ruled.


Sounds good to me