Don’t Vote If You’re Stupid
Is everyone entitled to vote? The simple answer is, no. The more complicated and more correct answer is, it depends. In one of my earlier posts entitled Make Your Own Decisions, Vote!, I discuss how I believe it is not only your right but your responsibility to vote. Now however, I want to talk about who should actually vote and who I don’t ever want to see at voting booths.
In the United States, persons under the age of 18 are not allowed to vote officials into public office. The question is why. Why are we putting an age limit here? Clearly, it’s because we don’t feel that those under the age of 18 understand the political system enough to have a valid opinion. I certainly wouldn’t want a four year old determining the fate of this country? I’m sure at least most of you would agree with that. Similarly, a baby of not even a year old couldn’t possible decide who to vote for, much less even know what it means to do anything except eat, sleep, and cry. I could make a similar argument for those who just became teenagers: nothing but eating, sleeping, and crying, am I right?
So if our age limit has to do with who we believe could even make a rational choice, then is it fair that those who still can’t make rational decisions past the age of 18 are still allowed to vote? Does that even make sense? Do I want a complete idiot who is oblivious to all things politics have a stab at changing the direction of this country? What if someone lapses into a coma at the age of ten and wakes up in their thirties? Do they still have every right to vote?
Criminals are denied the right to vote. This makes sense, as society has already determined that to commit a crime, you already must be thinking irrationally. Let’s not even bring up the fact that you’d probably hate the government for locking you up anyway. It’s further proof that the people we do not want to have voting are the ones who are incapable of thinking rationally.
However, being under the age of 18 and committing crimes are not the only criteria for not being capable of rational thinking. I’m sure you’ve met some people (or a lot of people!) who you deem ill-qualified to actually vote, either because they would be ignorant of who to vote for or because what they think goes beyond stupidity. And no, I’m not going to label liberal thinking nor conservative thinking as stupid, although there are certain aspects of both that astound me with their respective stupidities…
Anyway, I don’t think EVERYONE should vote. People who have no idea what’s going on… I don’t think should vote. But that’s just me. I mean, it wouldn’t make sense for them to. Generally the people who don’t know what’s going on wouldn’t really care to vote regardless. There’s also the people who do care, but they’re just plain wrong. I’d love NOT to see them at the voting tables, but alas you can’t just command stupid people not to vote. Or can you….
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JollyRoger Said,
February 17, 2009 @ 12:54 pm
Anyway, I don’t think EVERYONE should vote. People who have no idea what’s going on… I don’t think should vote.
You just disenfranchised the entire Republican “base” with two sentences
In all seriousness though…. there is a time I would have agreed with you as regards the criminal element. I’ve actually changed my mind on that one though; I have come to believe that the biggest mistake we make in corrections is in not trying to make incarcerated people believe that they have a stake in society. There are so damn many of them now that I believe we have to find ways to try to get them to include themselves in the societal discussion, and perhaps granting them voting rights might cause at least some of them to actually try to educate themselves about how society works. Prison is a boring place; politics might actually prove attractive to a number of inmates who would never become engaged otherwise.
Alberto Said,
February 17, 2009 @ 8:51 pm
I’d sure be willing to give the whole voting rights for criminals thing a try, but only for those who have committed particular crimes. Too bad for criminals that they don’t have anyone lobbying for them.
Bee Said,
March 5, 2009 @ 8:43 pm
Some states try to stop felons who have served their time from voting. The problem is: They served their time, and IMHO, they are square with the house.
Another problem I have with disenfranchising the convicted and incarcerated is this: Too many of them are there for minor drug offenses for drugs that should be legal anyway, like marijuana. Smoking a doob or carrying a dime-bag doesn’t make one irrational, just a pothead
As for the stupid people – unfortunately, I work with a whole gaggle of them, and every single one voted for McCain/Palin. The trouble with stopping them, is how do you determine who is too stupid? You can’t make them take tests, or even be literate, because that was how blacks were disenfranchised by many southern states during the Jim Crow era. So, basically, we are stuck with the dittoheads and morons, and have to just hope there are more rational thinkers out there than idiots. We kind of take our chances with that one.
Alberto Said,
March 6, 2009 @ 3:02 am
I definitely do not agree with not letting people vote after they have served their time. That’s what the time was for, and they finished, so no further punishment should really persist at that point.
True that we cannot stop stupid people from voting, but we could still ask them not to
Thanks for commenting! I’ve been a bit stressed lately and have not gotten a chance to visit other blogs and read up. I should start doing that fairly soon…
Bee Said,
March 6, 2009 @ 9:16 pm
No worries, Alberto – we all know you’re in school and working your patoot off
Hope things are going well there for you…
Alberto Said,
March 7, 2009 @ 1:17 am
Thanks much for understanding : )
It’s been a bumpy ride.
Cody Said,
April 27, 2009 @ 5:53 pm
well, Although having people know what they are voting on would make perfect sense, I don’t think you can just take away the rights to vote from people. I suppose that maybe a initial test when registering to vote, asking you basic questions about what the issues are could be implemented, but I doubt that would effectivly “eliminate” those who don’t know whats going on.
I believe that maybe the best way would be to require people to take classes on the issues when they want to register for voting. But not everyone has time for classes and for those that do, they don’t all have their free time at the same time.
so to put it simple, we have almost no way of educating people other than offering up sources that are filled with just the facts and hope that those who choose to vote take the time to educate themselves.
Alberto Said,
April 30, 2009 @ 12:16 am
Welcome to my blog Cody! Yes you are right; we cannot just take away people’s right to vote. However, we really should be educating people in the political process. I know that a lot of people are very impartial about the subject and it can be extremely frustrating, but I don’t think that should be an excuse for not reading up and actually knowing what’s going on. You can be non-caring but still be educated.
Thanks for commenting!
Lajuan Said,
December 7, 2009 @ 6:22 pm
The subject at hand is like any other, it is worth discussing however in my opinion convicts or former convicts shouldn’t vote. Law makers make subjects or actions illegal for good reason, there is no law maker who wakes up in the morning making something illegal without good motive. Convicts should not vote, why should you vote for a leader if you can’t be one yourself? what have you proved to society that give you the right to vote?